Shark sightings have prompted lifeguards to evacuate one of the Gold Coast's busiest beaches multiple times in the past week.
Now, aerial vision just off the headland at Burleigh Heads has confirmed that sharks have been cruising in the shallows.
We asked a biologist what it all means.
Is it unusual to see sharks off Gold Coast beaches?
Not really.
Shark expert Daryl McPhee said it was not unusual to see small species, such as whaler sharks, in the summer months.
"It's a seasonal thing; we expect to see them," Dr McPhee, an associate professor at Bond University, said.
A change in the number of cameras trained on the water has also contributed.
Dr McPhee said it meant people were getting better at spotting sharks.
"What we are doing though is we're getting much better at spotting them, particularly in a coastal and beach zone where lots of people are swimming," he said.
"Drones have been very effective at spotting sharks. That really has been the technological leap."
Why have people been spotting more sharks?
Burleigh Beach has been closed multiple times in recent weeks, including twice on the January 26 public holiday and again on Saturday.
A surf life saving nippers carnival was also postponed due to the Saturday sighting.
Dr McPhee said the simplest answer was that the sharks might be chasing some food.
"There's been quite a few sightings around that Burleigh area now, so there's something there that's attracted them and held them there," Dr McPhee said.
"The obvious conclusion to jump to is that there's some bait there, because sharks move around until they can find some food.
"There was [recently] a dead turtle reported on the beach there that might've floated around for a while ... the odour plume might've attracted some sharks into that area."
Are shark populations increasing?
We don't know.
Dr McPhee said it was difficult to detect changes in shark populations, and researchers didn't have enough evidence.
"Some [species] are going down; some are probably going up," he said.
He said it was particularly hard to monitor trends in three of the most well-known species of shark.
"For the three key shark species; bull sharks, white sharks and tiger sharks, we really don't have any good evidence on population levels and trends over time in particular," he said.
How can people stay safe at the beach?
Dr McPhee offered some tips on keeping safe at the beach.
At the top of the list was ensuring people always swam between the red and yellow flags patrolled by lifeguards and lifesavers.
He said that could help avoid a greater danger than sharks: drowning.
"Not only does that mitigate the risk of shark interactions, it also mitigates your risk of drowning, which is a much bigger killer on our beaches than sharks," he said.
Dr McPhee had some advice more specific to sharks.
"Don't swim with baitfish, don't swim with dead animals," he said.
"Stay out of murky water where possible, and if we do get lots of rain, stay away from those river mouths."
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said people worried about sharks should speak with lifeguards before taking a dip in the ocean.
"Just be wary of the sharks out there at this time of year," Cr Tate said.
"The bait fish are running, so they're going after the bait fish, not you.
"But for me, if I'm going in [the water], I normally like to say hello to the lifeguard to see if they know where the sharks are, and if it's out there, pick another beach."
