That's what an Australian man experienced yesterday.
An Australian surfer had a close encounter with a shark off Sydney's Bondi Beach on Tuesday when it jumped onto his board, giving him a huge fright in a near-miss witnessed by lifeguards.
Dean Norburn said he was surfing with two friends early in the morning when the shark launched itself out of the water onto his board.
"We were just past the break and as I was paddling in a little bit, I slowed down and went to sit up on my board and... as I did that, the shark brushed by me and landed on my board," Norburn told AFP.
"It gave me a bit of a shock as you can understand. And as quick as it came up it jumped off my board... swam towards one of my friends, swam under his board and then swam off.
"It's really quite freaky... it was my first (shark encounter) and hopefully it's going to be the last," he added.
Bondi Rescue Lifeguards confirmed the incident, adding that Norburn was not hurt and the shark - which the surfer's friend said looked like a bronze whaler - was about six feet (1.8 metres) long.
"Lifeguards spoke to both men and cleared the water afterwards. Will be a very memorable surf for both guys," the lifeguards said in a Facebook post.
There's more at the link.
That'd sure unclog any blockages I might have!
Peter
"That'd sure unclog any blockages I might have!"
ReplyDeleteYou're a master of understatement, sir. :)
Not familiar with that breed. Do they attack humans?
ReplyDeleteRichard: per Wikipedia, 6th down the list. Not too likely, unless there's food around (spear fishing, etc.).
ReplyDeletePeter: "That'd sure unclog any blockages I might have!" No sh**!
I'd be jet propelled by the brown stuff. I much prefer to meet them a bit further under water. As a diver, most sharks aren't too interested in me once they see all of me. It's when they just see an arm or leg at the surface that they get confused and think that's a seal, fish, or something else that's normally on the menu.
Won't somebody think of the poor shark and how it sees thing? Legs dangling over the side of a surfboard are practically a tease when you are hungry but otherwise innocently cruising around. :-)
ReplyDeleteAn acquaintance named Casimir Pulaski (yes, a descendent) was padding a distance along the central California coast during a time of no surf. Lucky for him his arm was extended when the shark took a bit of his board. Biologists determine it was a 19' great white.
ReplyDeleteMyself, I have been chased out of the water several times. The scariest was being tracked by what I soon after had seen was a 20+ great white. Not meaning to convey some form of bravado but seeing a shark fin is not reason enough to exit the water. While they are fearful predators they are as any other animal entirely predicable. Except when they mean business and you become the prey.
Side note: growing up in Hawaii it was usual to dive with hammerheads or reef sharks and the occasional tiger shark about.
Biologists used to say that great whites are highly territorial. I say used to. While on a boat for some halibut fishing I once saw five great whites congregating in an area of no more than 5 sq miles.
Another time I witnessed a strange scene. While on a boat drifting several miles offshore I saw what I appeared to be a great white of about 15' lazily swimming along. A few minutes later I saw another great white but of about 24' swimming rapidly in the same direction. As if this apex predator was running towards something. No wait, he was running from something. That something turned out to be a pod of killer whales. Now let me tell you about killer whales. Any other whale species seems to lollygag as they journey. Not so the killer whale. Even when in 'relaxed mode', the killer whale moves along as if in a hurry. So here is a great white in a hurry because it senses something is about. And here are the killers knowing something is just ahead of them. This particular pod was with purpose and they were swiftly charging to the chase. It was amazing.
I am born of the sea but have also spent much time in the back country. Imagine an elk hunt, you have been tracking your quarry for miles. Then, just upon a ridge, you witness a mountain lion tear out of the bush to fell your prey. Nature is like that whether land or sea. And you were in the right place at the right time to see it. And no one else but you saw it. Just incredible experiences.
*paddling
ReplyDeleteBTW Merry Christmas to you and each reader.
Unsurprising. Great white sharks have been known to flee their waters if they get wind of a killer whale. This is because orcas have figured out how to casually murder great white sharks (by holding them upside-down until they suffocate). Orcas also seem to have a taste for shark livers, routinely disemboweling great whites for that tasty treat.
ReplyDelete