Boy, 11, attacked by shark in central Qld

An 11-year-old boy is in good spirits despite being bitten by a shark in waters off Queensland's central coast.

The child was attacked near Heron Island on Tuesday, northeast of Gladstone, and suffered a significant bite to his right calf.

He was treated by a registered nurse on the island before being transported to Gladstone Airport.

He's now been transported to the Gladstone Hospital in a stable condition.

Paramedic Brad Lawson said the boy was bitten by a blacktip reef shark along the beach edge.

Surprisingly, he said the child was in a jovial mood despite his run-in with the shark.

"The child's in quite good spirits, quite happy," he said, adding the patient was now in minimal pain.

A team of surgeons are currently reviewing him.

The attack comes after a spear-fisher was also bitten while hunting mackerel off Miall Island on the weekend.