Shark “cruises” by boardriders out surfing at Kingscliff

SOME say the word “shark” was invented by a surfer who didn’t know which expletive to use when he saw one — but Zach Keen remembers the exact word he and a dozen other boardriders used yesterday.

Huge shark spotted beside surfers

SOME say the word “shark” was invented by a surfer who didn’t know which expletive to use when he saw one.

But surfer Zach Keen, who snapped this creature lurking about 25m from him in the surf just south of Cudgen Creek at Kingscliff yesterday, remembers the exact word he and a dozen other boardriders used.

SURF REPORT: WHAT HAPPENS OFF OUR SURF BEACHES

“We were just like, ‘What the (expletive) is that?’,” the 28-year-old said.

After seeing a dozen boardriders at the reef Mr Keen decided it was too crowded to surf, so instead paddled out with a camera about 6am to find himself in water “boiling” with fish and dolphin activity.

“It was about half a football field of boiling water with baitfish — the pelagic activity was huge and the water was so clear, you could see everything,” Mr Keen said.

Zach Keen snapped this picture of ‘fins’ swimming by a reef near Cudgen Creek yesterday. Pic: Zach Keen.

“I was sitting with one other photographer and the dolphins were being weird,” he said.

“They just hung around underneath us — that’s when we saw something cruising 25m away.”

Mr Keen, who works in health and safety for a mining company in Brisbane, said it was not until he checked his camera back on shore that he realised how “heavy” the situation was.

“No one paddled because everyone was comfortable with the amount of eyes on the water — we sat out for a few hours afterwards,” he said.

“The shark just cruised around toward the shore as some guys were paddling out and then turned around and left.

Commercial fisherman Joel Merchant with some of his recent hauls off the Gold Coast.

“It didn’t really sink in until I checked my camera and saw the shots afterwards.

“My mates joked and said they were surprised that I managed to get a photo because I usually freeze up completely if we see a shark.

“They said it was a miracle I got a photo of it.”

The former Coolangatta local said he could not exactly say how big the shark was.

“It wasn’t massive but it was big enough to do some damage if it wanted to — it was maybe 2.5m or 3m,” he said.

“I don’t want to be the guy who says it was huge when it isn’t.”

“The surf was good, so we just hung out for a few more hours.”

Originally published as Shark “cruises” by boardriders out surfing at Kingscliff