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Sharks and Surfers
On July 19, 2015, Australian surfer Mick Fanning competed in a South African surf championship at Jeffreys Bay. Fanning, a three time world champion, had just entered the water when he was approached by a large great white shark. “I felt something get stuck in my leg rope and I was kicking trying to get it away. I just saw fins. I didn’t see the teeth. I instantly jumped away and then it just kept coming at my board. I punched it in the back and started swimming and screaming.”
Fanning survived the encounter but the contest was cancelled. Two years later, Fanning returned to the same competition. He and another surfer were pulled from the water after another shark sighting. Fanning retired from pro surfing in 2018 saying, “I still love the game but can’t find the motivation and dedication required to compete for world titles anymore.”
Surfers and sharks have long co-existed. According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), there were 702 unprovoked shark attacks on humans from 2005–2014. 53% of these attacks were on surfers. Shark attacks hit an all-time high in 2015 with 98 unprovoked attacks worldwide, 50 on surfers. Six of the attacks were fatal. Pro surfing competitions now utilize camera drones and sonar devices to detect sharks. They employ motorboats and jet skis in the belief that sharks avoid loud and busy areas.
