‘Very scary’: Surfers’ terrifying close encounter with great white shark

A group of Aussie surfers have had a nerve-racking close call with a great white shark during an afternoon swim at a popular beach.

A group of Aussie surfers have had a terrifying close call with a great white shark at a popular New South Wales beach weeks out from summer.

Surfer Kye Wilkinson was enjoying an afternoon surf at Shelly Beach in Emerald Beach, north of Coffs Harbour, on Wednesday, November 13 when he spotted the shadow of the great white, measuring three to four metres long, lurking in the waters below.

“I had paddled out and was sitting on my board for roughly two to three minutes when I felt something hit the bottom of my board; I looked underneath me to see a big black shadow,” Mr Wilkinson told news.com.au.

“I froze for a second not really knowing what way to paddle.”

Mr Wilkinson was surging when the he noted the shark hit the bottom of his board. Picture: Storyful

He said he quickly “froze” after spotting the three-four metre long creature. Picture: Storyful

Despite the hair-raising encounter, Mr Wilksison knew he had to stay calm and alert nearby surfers to avoid stirring up panic.

Video footage shared online shows the moment Mr Wilkinson paddled over and notified the other.

“Big shark... just here!,” he called out to the fellow surfers before panning the camera down to reveal the shark swimming mere metres away below him.

“Holy sh*t” one of the surfers responded.

“Stay together boys, stay together, don’t paddle!” another surfer yelled out as the group huddled together.

Mr Wilkinson said the shark circled three times before he and the others managed to paddle away to safety.

He said it wasn’t the first time he’d come across a great white out in the water.

“You see them every now and then but they usually take off pretty quickly. I’ve never had one that close and to have it circling three times was very scary.”

Mr Wilkinson stayed calm and alerted fellow surfers. Picture: Storyful

Another surfer advised the group to stay together and stop paddling. Picture: Storyful

Man killed by shark while diving
The incident occurred just days before a young commercial diver was killed by a shark in New Zealand this week.

Jade Kahukore-Dixon, 24, was attacked near the Chatham Islands, about 800km east of the South Island, on Tuesday.

Local police confirmed a man died in hospital following a shark attack, telling Stuff: “Emergency services were called around midday, following reports the man, who had been diving off a boat, had been critically injured.”

“He was rushed to Chatham Island Hospital but has since died.”

Jade Kahukore-Dixon, 24, was killed in a shark attack this week.

Mr Kahukore-Dixon’s father, Jacky Dixon, said he had limited information on the incident but believes a great white shark had mauled his son.

Mr Dixon said his son was a “very tough, young fella” who “loved fishing and diving”.

“He would do anything to protect his family. He was an amazing boy, a very much-loved member of the family,” Mr Dixon added.

“I couldn’t believe it. I kept picturing him when he was little. I’m not going to have my son.”

Mr Dixon said his son often saw great white sharks but was unafraid.

Rise in global shark attacks

A total of 10 people were killed in shark attacks globally in 2023, marking double the number of deaths from the previous year.

Of the fatal attacks, four occurred in Australia.

As of November 2024, there have been 11 shark attack bites and zero fatalities in Australia this year, according to Tracking Sharks’ Shark Attack Map. Globally, 17 people have been fatally attacked.

Despite the figures, Dr Daryl McPhee, Bond University Associate Professor of Environmental Science, who specialises in the study of human-shark interactions, said unprovoked shark bites in Australia remain an “extremely rare phenomenon”.

“There has been a decadal increasing trend in the number of bites in Australia and this is largely due to increased water users over a larger geographic area in combination with a range of factors including an increase in coastal food resources (e.g. whales) and climate-induced changes,” he told news.com.au.

“Despite this increase, the risk still remains extremely low”.

On Thursday, a White Shark was spotted at Avoca in Central NSW and Forster in the state’s mid-north, according to the Dorsal shark alert system.

Debate over shark culling continues

Over the years, the rise in attacks has spurred debate about culling as a measure to protect surfers and swimmers.

The great white was classified as a protected species by the NSW government in 1996.

In 1999, their threatened species status was elevated to “vulnerable” to extinction.

However, the animal can still be killed if a permit to harm protected wildlife is obtained under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act).

In 2022, calls for culling were particularly strong after 35-year-old diving instructor Simon Nellist was tragically killed by a shark at Buchan Point, near Little Bay in Sydney – the first fatal shark attack in Sydney in almost 60 years.

“Cull these predators. Human lives do matter,” one social media user wrote at the time.

“Idiotic Shark Protection 1959 still in force. Human sacrifices to appease moron minority groups that Govt lives in fear of,” wrote another.

The great white was classified as a protected species by the NSW government in 1996.

However, even after his close encounter, Mr Wilkinson doesn’t believe culling is the answer.

“I honestly believe that we all know the risks when we enter the water, it’s the sharks home and we understand that there’s always the possibility of having an encounter,” he said.

“If we are going to be entering the ocean, we just need to be smart about it. Don’t go swimming at dusk or dawn and be sure to always have at least one or two people with you so that we can all keep an eye on each other.”

Mr Wilkinson is not alone in his views.

Dr McPhee said, “Culling is no longer socially acceptable for many Australians.”

“In response governments need to transition away from lethal means and there has been substantial investments from state governments in NSW and Queensland to do this.”

While he said there is no single solution that will be 100 per cent effective at reducing shark bites, he said technologies such as drones and acoustic tagging can help identify the presence of sharks and keep swimmers informed of the risks.

As more Aussies prepare to flock to the beach for summer, Dr McPhee offers beachgoers some perspective – “drowning at a surf beach is a greater fatal risk than shark bite”.

“Beachgoers should swim between the flags, obey any instructions from lifesavers and avoid swimming during low light levels and after rain as it is at these times that shark can be more activity in the nearshore area,” he advised.