A surfer from Australia encountered a large shark

A surfer had a frightening encounter with a great white shark in Australia. Luckily, the predator did not harm the man.

The incident occurred at Emerald Beach in Coffs Harbour, on the north coast of New South Wales. Surfer Kai Wilkinson was riding his board when he felt a strange push from below. “It rose to the surface and hit the bottom of the board. I fell halfway back. At first I didn’t understand what it was, and then I looked into the water and saw a shark,” Wilkinson said in an interview. According to him, it was a great white shark at least five meters long. Thanks to the camera, the surfer managed to capture the frightening encounter.

Wilkinson not only avoided the predator’s attack, but also saved other surfers nearby by warning them about the shark. At that moment, the camera again recorded a five-meter fish underwater a few meters from the group of athletes. The surfers then gathered together and headed for shore as a united front — they figured the shark would be more likely to attack a lone prey and give a larger opponent a wide berth. The men managed to swim to dry land unharmed.

Wilkinson believes the risk of attack was real because the shark didn't just swim past him, it circled him. He says he plans to take a break from surfing for now.