Gold Coast approves night surfing trial at Snapper Rocks
Gold Coast council approved a $100,000 floodlit trial at Snapper Rocks for 2027, despite shark expert warnings.
Gold Coast council endorsed a plan to floodlight Snapper Rocks for night surfing during the 2027 World Surf League championship event. The $100,000 temporary trial aims to ease overcrowding, with annual surfers rising from 1.1 million to 3.2 million over the past decade.
Local surfing legend McKinnon supports night events as spectacles but worries about regular night surfing. Shark expert Vincent Raoult warns that bull sharks are most active after sunset and near the Tweed River, where Snapper sits.
Light pollution could attract bait fish and squid, which in turn attract predators. Raoult says sharks learn patterns: if they discover lit waters mean easy food, they'll return regularly.
The council report acknowledges overcrowding as a problem but suggests night surfing as a solution.
- $100,000
- Trial cost
- 1.1 million to 3.2 million annually
- Surfer growth
- Bull sharks after sunset
- Peak shark activity
- Vincent Raoult
- Shark expert
Why it mattersUnintended consequences like shark attraction and light pollution could undermine the environmental and recreation benefits the trial aims to test.
AustraliaIf night surfing spreads across Australian breaks, it could transform coastal recreation, but marine biologists warn of ecosystem impacts.
