Sharks in feeding frenzy close to shore at world-renowned surf beach Snapper Rocks

Surfing was off the cards for shocked locals who witnessed a remarkable natural phenomenon at a popular Gold Coast beach.

Dozens of sharks appeared off Snapper Rocks on Tuesday afternoon, enjoying a seafood buffet which brought them dangerously close to shore.

Many locals rushed over to witnesses the shiver of sharks as they thrashed about in the shallows in a feeding frenzy.

The marine predators are believed to have been lured to the spot by a giant bait ball.

A bait ball is the name given to a large group of schooling fish when they create a spherical formation and swim together to confuse predators.

These groupings can contain more than 1000 fish at any given time.

“This is pretty wild, there are just so many sharks and all that bait,” one witness told Sunrise.

“They’re pretty much straight on the sand.”

“I’ve been all around Australia but never seen a shark this close,” another person said.

“This is crazy.”

Although not commonly seen, shark feeding frenzies have been known to happen in Queensland usually in the warmer months.

Feeding frenzies have also been known to happen around dead whales and are a sign of a healthy ecosystem.

Most recently, a shiver of sharks was seen in a feeding frenzy in Point Cartwright on the Sunshine Coast in January this year.

“This is a natural event, and simply it is part of the ecosystem and part of the food chain,” Bond University associate professor of environmental science Daryl McPhee told the Sunshine Coast News at the time.

“Many people may think that the ocean is a friendly, Finding Nemo sort of place, but it is not.

“Being a bait fish would not be fun.”