A NINE-year-old girl told yesterday how she was bitten by a white tip reef shark while snorkelling off Thursday Island.

Reenie Morrissey was snorkelling with friends in 3m deep water at a reef off the island when a grumpy 1m shark began circling them on Saturday.

"It was underneath us and I was thinking it was pretty cool but once it started circling us I got a bit scared," Reenie told The Cairns Post.

She was bitten twice on the knee soon afterwards.

The Townsville primary school student said she was trying to get into the middle of the group of children when she felt "two chomps".

"I turned to see if it (shark) was behind me and my knee must have got too close to him and he bit me," she said.

Mother Michelle Murphy, who was also circled by the shark, said Reenie's wounds were not serious and were healing well, as was the family’s confidence.

"Her deepest one (wound) is a little over a centimetre long (but) I've told her it'll be a good scar to show off and tell stories about when she gets older," Ms Murphy joked yesterday.

"We're just glad it was Renee's knee.

"If it had got something softer like a muscle it might not have let go so easily. It circled me and my four-year-old daughter where we were (after that) but it veered off and didn't do anything."

The Townsville family was holidaying with friends from Thursday Island and had taken a boat trip about 10 minutes from the shoreline for some snorkelling, she said. One of the party was also spearfishing.

The incident, while sending Reenie into shock initially, would not be putting them off the holiday past-time.

"Once you start to think about it, it’s kind of weird what happened … but when my leg is better and we come up again next year I'll be in there again," Reenie said.

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