A man has been mauled to death in a shark attack off the coast of Far North Queensland.

The 39-year-old set out on a boat with four people towards Kennedy Shoal off Hull Heads Beach, on the Cassowary Coast about 160 kilometres south of Cairns.

It is believed the group were about 30 kilometres offshore, in an area where bull sharks were sighted earlier in the day, when the man was attacked by a shark in the water.

The man was met by emergency services at a jetty, but died shortly after.The man was met by emergency services at a jetty, but died shortly after. (Nine)
Police at the scene of a fatal shark attack near Hull Heads Beach, Queensland.Police at the scene of a fatal shark attack near Hull Heads Beach, Queensland. (Nine)

The man was brought back to shore just after midday for treatment by paramedics waiting at the Hull River boat ramp but died of his injuries on the jetty.

Local resident Jeffery Briggs recalled the frenzied scene at the jetty when the boat came back.

“By the time we’ve got in here, and got to the boat ramp, police were all over it,” he said.

Kennedy Shoal, where the attack happened, is popular with spearfishers.

Charter boat operator Gererd Pike said he saw several aggressive bull sharks earlier in the day in the area where the attack happened.

“I was out close to there today, and the bull sharks, mate we had one Spanish mackerel get eaten by about six bullies off the side of the boat there today,” he said.

It is not known if the group of four was spearfishing or if it was a bull shark that mauled the man.

Hull Heads is just south of popular tourist spot Mission Beach.

Close to the Great Barrier Reef, the area is popular for those wanting to go snorkelling and scuba diving, and also has several tropical islands for tourists to explore.

The death is the third from a shark attack in Australia this year.

In January, a 12-year-old Sydney boy Nico Antic died after an attack by a suspected bull shark near Shark Bay in Vaucluse.

Last week, a 38-year-old spearfisher Steve Mattabonni was killed off Rottnest Island in Western Australia after being attacked by a great white shark.

Shark attack victim Nico Antic has died in a Sydney hospital. The 12-year-old was attacked by a suspected bull shark as he was jumping off a rock face at Neilson Park, near Shark Beach in Vaucluse, on Sunday.Nico Antic died in hospital after suffering severe injuries from a suspected bull shark attack. (Supplied)

Sydney saw a spate of shark attacks earlier in the year as wet weather created brackish water near beaches and rivers across the city, which are ideal conditions for bull sharks.

Similar conditions hit the city this weekend, with residents urged to stay out of the water.

A report on the Queensland man’s death will be prepared for the coroner.