A woman making a documentary about sharks has suffered significant leg injuries after being attacked in the water off the north Queensland coast.

The 29-year-old woman was flown to Cairns Hospital after the shark attack off Fitzroy Island just before midday on Tuesday. She was said to be in a stable condition.

“I still love sharks. Sharks are beautiful,” the woman told reporters as she was wheeled into Cairns Hospital.

Paramedics said the 29-year-old had suffered lacerations to her left leg and, possibly, a broken ankle when she was bitten in the water off the resort island’s jetty.

Tweet from @QldAmbulance

Doctors who were among the first on the on scene after the attack gave her first aid until paramedics arrived by helicopter.

“From the initial call of the shark bite, we were not sure exactly what we were going to, so we were preparing for the worst,” a Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said.

“When we got there, the injuries weren’t as severe as we were first told – but enough to cause her distress.”

The woman was treated for pain, before being flown to Cairns Hospital.

The QAS spokesman said the woman was unable to identify what kind of shark had attacked her.

Fitzroy Island is about 30 kilometres south-east of Cairns and is mostly national park.

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Three people have died in Australian waters from shark attacks in just over a month.

Rob Pedretti died on June 8 after he was mauled by the three-metre great white shark at Salt Beach at South Kingscliff in northern NSW.

Police warned at the time there were lots of bait fish and whales in the area off the NSW north coast.

On July 4, a man died after being attacked while spearfishing off Queensland’s Fraser Island.

The Sunshine Coast man, 36, was diving off Indian Head on the eastern side of the island when he was bitten on his legs. He died from the injury about two-and-a-half hours later, police said.

On July 11, 15-year-old Mani Hart-Deville died after he was attacked by a shark at Wilsons Headland at Wooli Beach, north of Coffs Harbour.

Board-riders helped the teenager to shore and he was given first aid for serious leg injuries. He died at the scene, despite efforts to resuscitate him.