Mick Fanning and surfers pulled from water after another shark scare at Jeffreys Bay

MICK Fanning has again escaped the jaws of the ocean’s scariest predator, plucked from the water after a close call with a giant shark at the beach he was attacked two years ago.

The giant shark, believed to be a white pointer, is seen close to where the surfers were competing. Picture: Twitter

AUSSIE champion surfer Mick Fanning has not once but twice escaped the jaws of the ocean’s most frightening predator.

Fanning was plucked from the water after yet another dramatic close call with a shark at the same beach where he was attacked two years ago in South Africa.

Mick Fanning jumps on to jet ski after the shark was spotted close to the surfer. Picture: Supplied

Momento em que bateria de @gabriel1medina e @mick_fanning parou por causa de um 🦈. Veja o #SurfeNoSporTV AO VIVO: https://t.co/INEtBBcWtf pic.twitter.com/3pO9XRNFFz

— SporTV (@SporTV) July 19, 2017

The men’s World Surf League quarterfinal at Jeffreys Bay was suspended after a large shark was sighted about 600m from the line-up around 2.30pm local time.

Within seconds Fanning and fellow surfer Gabriel Medina were pulled from the water by jet ski patrols.

Fanning remained calm after the ordeal, seen chatting and laughing with others while they waited for the shark to exit the zone and head towards Cape Town.

“I was looking and one of the skiers moved pretty close and I was looking at him going what are you doing?,” he said.

“Then I saw him pick up John and I was like all right, we’re out of here.

“I was sort of hoping to catch another wave and just go straight in.

“I’m glad I didn’t do that.”

.@gabriel1medina em uma linda onda contra @Mick_Fanning nas Quartas de Final AO VIVO agora #CoronaOpenJBay 👉 https://t.co/rJ0dLqmovs pic.twitter.com/PAIzC2fqiO

— World Surf League (@wsl) July 19, 2017

SHARK!! Watching Surfing live from J Bay & there's a SHARK in water & guess who's in the water? Mick Fanning! True. pic.twitter.com/co7Y6jxgLH

— Grant Denyer (@grantdenyer) July 19, 2017

Both he and Medina said they were comfortable jumping back on the boards, Fanning joking he wanted a restart after an average score in the heat.

Fanning’s history at J-Bay has been full of miracles.

In 2015, Fanning was pulled underwater by a four-metre shark in the same final before amazingly walking away unscathed after punching the great white.

The world held its breath as Fanning flailed, kicked out his legs and was knocked off his board on live TV.

Fanning and Gabriel Medina after being plucked to safety. Picture: Supplied

When the camera found Fanning again, almost 40 seconds after first seeing the fin at his feet, he was climbing on to a jet ski.

Just 12 months later, he went on to win the 2016 J-Bay Open title in a stunning victory at the famous break.

The giant shark that sparked the scare. Picture: Fox Sports

The competition was also put on hold on Tuesday when a 2-3 metre mako was seen breaching the water close to where surfers were waiting to catch a wave.

Julian Wilson, who was in the water with Fanning in 2015 when the attack happened, was surfing his fourth round heat against South Africa’s Jordy Smith and Brazil’s Filipe Toledo.

Fanning ended up losing his quarterfinal.

Originally published as Mick Fanning and surfers pulled from water after another shark scare at Jeffreys Bay