Tag: Surfer

Watch: Surfer in Australia rides wave with large shark on board

A surfer in New South Wales, Australia, was captured on video riding a wave with a seemingly dead shark on his board.

A surfer in New South Wales, Australia, was caught on video riding a wave with a seemingly dead shark on his board.

Kristin Grace, in her TikTok post, described the bizarre scene as an “Only in Australia” moment. Grace explained that the shark was dead but provided no other details.

9 News Australia shared the footage, stating, “Sadly the shark had died before the surfer found it.”

Surfer reported that sharks are common in Australia,”So, it’s no surprise to see ‘em; but this next clip is a little…different.”

The footage was captured at Yamba Main Beach and shows the surfer riding a paddleboard on his knees with the shark carcass pointing toward shore.

The shark species was not identified.

Honolulu surfer in serious condition after shark attack

A 58-year-old surfer was hospitalized in serious condition Sunday after a shark bit his right leg at Kewalo Basin in Honolulu.

A 58-year-old surfer was hospitalized in serious condition Sunday after a large shark bit his right leg at Kewalo Basin in Honolulu.

KHON2 reports that friends of the surfer might have saved his life by using a surfboard leash as a tourniquet. The man, a regular at the surfing spot, was transported to a nearby trauma center after the dawn incident.

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources stated in a news release that an 8-foot tiger shark was believed responsible for biting the surfer.

The DNLR added: “When others came to the man’s aid they report that a shark returned and was acting aggressively.”

A dive boat with 30 passengers left the area soon after being told about the incident.

Warning signs were posted and the area was ordered closed to swimming and surfing until at least noon Monday.

Surfer ‘freaked out’ by seal has leg snapped in two

A 42-year-old man in the U.K. was surfing with a friend Friday when an encounter with a seal ended in a gruesome injury.

A 42-year-old man in the U.K. was surfing with a friend Friday when an encounter with a seal ended in a gruesome injury.

Nathan Phillips, described as a local surfing legend, was surfing on a day of powerful waves in Porthleven, Cornwall, when the incident occurred, leaving his leg snapped clean in two, as reported by DevonLive.

Several media outlets reported that the seal attacked him, which simply wasn’t the case. But Phillips seemed to imply by his explanations that he caught a wave to get away from the seal after being “freaked out” by it.

“I had just been paddling out and something started tugging on my leash,” the expectant father told DevonLive. “It kind of freaked me out because I didn’t know what it was. After I worked out that it was a seal and fended it off, it was just playing I think, but a wave crashed down on me just after [that] at a weird angle and sent my board flying into my shin.”

Phillips clarified the incident further when he told ITV News West Country that he “started freaking out” about the seal, took off on a wave and was “in the barrel and then the next thing I know, I hear a big crack and I was underwater.”

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“I remembered my mate saying he thought my board had snapped because of the sound, but then I realized it had been my shin when I felt my foot hitting the back of my leg,” Phillips told DevonLive. “I just started screaming with pain, and my mate dragged me onto his board and told me to start paddling back to shore.”

After getting to shore, he waited 40 minutes before medical personnel arrived.

“It was so painful, and I had to wait even longer in my mate’s van while I waited for an ambulance after I couldn’t fit in the air ambulance,” Phillips said.

CornwallLive reported that the 6-foot-2 surfer was too tall to fit into the Cornwall Air Ambulance helicopter that was smaller than the normal one that is usually used. A couple of hours passed before he was transferred by land ambulance to Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske.

With a baby on the way in five weeks and being a self-employed builder, Phillips was thankful for friends who started a GoFundMe page to help with expenses while he recovers from surgery.

“I’m blown away by how kind my friends are and how beautiful the surf community is down here in Cornwall,” he told CornwallLive.

Pro surfer, whale display powerful moves in unison; video

A photographer has captured video footage showing a pro surfer attempting an aerial maneuver at the precise moment a whale throws its tail fluke behind the wave.

A photographer has captured video footage showing a pro surfer attempting an aerial maneuver at the precise moment a whale throws its tail fluke behind the wave.

The surfer is Brianna Cope of Hawaii. Alex Hayes, the photographer, told FTW Outdoors that Cope was practicing for a World Surf League competition in South Africa in early July when he noticed an active whale beyond the lineup.

“It was slapping its tail on the water in the same spot for about two minutes and then Brianna took the wave and it randomly lined up,” Hayes said.

Hayes asked his social media followers to watch the video twice to see that the movements of Cope and the whale almost seem choreographed.

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Cope did not respond to an inquiry from FTW Outdoors. Her Instagram description of Hayes’ footage reads: “Sharing the ocean with an incredible animal. Mother Nature is amazing.”

Hayes did not identify the whale species but a researcher who examined the clip said it was almost certainly a humpback whale.

After fatal attack on surfer, one great white shark grabs spotlight

After a fatal shark attack involving a bodyboarder on Christmas Eve off Morro Bay, Ca., a prominent researcher could not say whether one of the great white sharks tagged by his group was involved.

After a shark killed a bodyboarder on Christmas Eve off Morro Bay, Ca., a prominent researcher could not say whether one of the great white sharks tagged by his group was involved.

“I’ve gotten a lot of messages because of the unfortunate fatal shark encounter at The Pit (Morro Bay),” Michael Domeier, president of the Marine Conservation Science Institute, stated on Instagram. “A male bodyboarder was bitten and he succumbed to the injuries. First, my heart goes out to the family and friends of the victim.

“Second, no I don’t know if the shark was Poe Girl, or any of our other tagged sharks. The probability of it being one of our sharks is very low, since we’ve tagged such a small percentage of the overall population.”

The victim, a 31-year-old man, has not been officially identified.

Poe Girl, an adult female white shark measuring 17-plus feet, was tagged off Point Conception for MCSI by Keith Poe on Nov. 23, 2017.

On Christmas Day, Poe Girl pinged a position 24 miles south of Morro Bay. Domeier acknowledged to FTW Outdoors that “she could have easily been in Morro Bay that day, but that’s all one can say about it. There are so many other white sharks around, there’s no way to say it was her.”

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MCSI-tagged sharks can be tracked by the public via an app, but a shark has to surface under the right conditions to reveal a new position.

Since Poe Girl was tagged she has traveled extensively to the west and south, even inside Mexico’s Gulf of California, or Sea of Cortez. Understandably, she’s often detected closer to Central California home waters, where she and other white sharks prey seasonally on elephant seals.

In mid-November, Poe Girl was positioned beyond Surf Beach at Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc, south of Morro Bay.

Fatal shark encounters occurred at Surf Beach almost exactly two years apart in October 2010 and 2012. A nonfatal bite, also attributed to a white shark, occurred in 2014. (Surf Beach is accessible to the public.)

In October, Poe Girl was positioned off El Capitan State Beach near Santa Barbara.

“She is not your everyday Southern California juvenile; she’s a massive adult that you should avoid,” Domeier cautioned surfers at the time, via Instagram.

Poe told FTW Outdoors that on a tagging expedition to Point Conception last month, “I had white sharks at my boat hundreds of times. There are so many, it’s incredible.”

So there’s nothing that implicates Poe Girl in the Christmas Eve attack (or any other), besides the fact that she was in the general vicinity at the time.

Her presence might be unnerving, but most surfers are aware that they share the ocean with untagged sharks, too, and accept the extremely low risk of being bitten every time they paddle out.

–Top image shows Morro Rock   

Watch: Large shark on the hunt frightens surfer to shore

A surfer in Puerto Rico on Monday was frightened out of the water by a large hammerhead shark that could be seen thrashing just outside the lineup.

A surfer in Puerto Rico on Monday was frightened out of the water by a large shark that could be seen thrashing just outside the lineup.

Jorge Benitez, who captured the accompanying footage at a spot called Middles, told FTW Outdoors that the surfer closest to the shark is Rolando Montes “and he definitely saw the shark and paddled to shore quickly.”

However, Montes might not have been in danger.

As science writer Sarah Keartes pointed out via Twitter, the shark is chasing a large ray – “maybe an eagle ray?” – and shows no interest in the surfer.

“Only a close call if you’re the majestic flap flap,” Keartes wrote, referring to the wording in a CBS News tweet showing the footage. “No danger here.”

RELATED: Hawaii diver captures close great white shark encounter on video

Benitez told FTW Outdoors that he spotted the leaping ray and began to capture that on video. He was not aware at the time that a shark, possibly a hammerhead, was pursuing the ray.

When Montes reached the beach Benitez asked him, “Why were you so afraid of a stingray?”

Benitez said he did not see the shark until he and Montes reviewed his footage. “It was definitely a big one,” Benitez said.

–Image courtesy of Jorge Benitez

Surfer’s brush with great white shark caught on video

Matt Wilkinson heard a nearby splash as he paddled his surfboard Wednesday, but could not see the shark.

Matt Wilkinson heard a nearby splash as he paddled his surfboard Wednesday, but could not see the great white shark.

The former pro surfer also heard a drone whirring overhead, and its recorded message urging him to hurry ashore.

Wilkinson paddled safely to shore at Sharpes Beach in New South Wales, Australia, sensing that he had just been involved in a close call with an apex predator.

“I got to the shore feeling a bit weird and the lifeguards showed me the footage and I realized how close it came without knowing it was there,” Wilkinson told Surf Life Saving New South Wales. “It looks like it’s going for my leg and it changed its mind.”

The footage, captured via an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle operated by Surf Life Saving NSW, shows a small white shark in front of Wilkinson and circling to approach from behind.

The shark is only inches from Wilkinson’s feet before it quickly veers, perhaps spooked by the large drone.

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It was not the first close shark encounter for Wilkinson, who was in the lineup at J-Bay in South Africa when fellow World Surf League competitor Mick Fanning was harassed by a larger white shark in 2015.

“I feel grateful and pretty weird at the same time but happy it decided not to go me,” Wilkinson told Surf Life Saving NSW. “When I saw the footage I saw the similarities, like I had a yellow leg rope on and Mick’s board was yellow is what I was thinking about when I came in.

“I called my wife because I didn’t want her to see the footage before I saw it. She doesn’t want me surfing for a couple of days now.”

The government-funded UAV program, designed to detect the presence of sharks and other threats, is operated by Surf Life Saving NSW and used at 34 locations.

Said UAV operator Beau Monks of Wilkinson’s encounter: “[The shark] sort of came out of nowhere, then went right up to Matt. It moved pretty fast. I was tracking it and notified the lifeguards and used the speaker on the drone to get everyone out of the water. Within 10 seconds it was at the surfer and five seconds later it was gone.”

Sharpes Beach was ordered closed until Thursday.

–Image courtesy of Surf Life Saving NSW

 

Officer shoots gun while chasing surfer on closed beach

Video footage has surfaced showing a policeman in Costa Rica shooting a gun while chasing a surfer away from a closed beach.

Video footage has surfaced showing a policeman in Costa Rica shooting a gun while chasing a surfer on a recently closed beach.

The grainy footage was posted to Instagram by Surfline on Saturday with the description: “Today in Costa Rica. Surfing is not allowed. Shots are fired. Please be safe out there and pay attention to any local laws, here and abroad.”

Viewers will note that the officer fires two shots at close proximity in a clear attempt to issue a powerful warning. Another surfer is seen sprinting in a different direction.

It was not clear whether the officer was firing live rounds or blanks. Surfline did not identify the person who provided the video clip.

Surfline also stated that Noe Mar McGonagle, a pro surfer who lives in Costa Rica, was arrested recently for surfing during a beach closure.

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McGonagle did not respond to messages sent by For The Win Outdoors, asking for details.

All beaches in Costa Rica have been closed to the public since March 23 to help stop the spread of COVID-19, or the coronavirus.

The Tico Times, an English-language newspaper/website, reported Sunday that the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Central American nation had surpassed 300.

Several countries have closed or restricted access to public beaches, and keeping surfers away has kept authorities busy.

(According to the Los Angeles Times, a surfer was fined $1,000 after ignoring warnings by police and lifeguards at Manhattan Beach in Southern California.)

Surfline’s Instagram post inspired more than 4,000 viewers to comment. Many were critical of the officer’s reaction and the beach closures.

One person wrote: “Are they popping off rounds at people just for surfing?”

Another chimed in: “Guy is surfing alone on a beach. That’s far better than walking into any store or living in a apartment complex. get ur … priorities straight.”

But many defended the closures and efforts to keep people from gathering on beaches.

Reads one such comment:  “I’m Costa Rican, so many people are spreading fake news, the shots were not fired towards him, it was just to scare him.

“Not the best approach, but it was clearly stated by the government that we need to stay inside, if they let one person then more people will join and we don’t have enough resources to battle this pandemic if it gets really bad because people are not following social distancing.”

–Image and video courtesy of Surfline

Surfer bitten by shark off SoCal island airlifted to hospital

A 37-year-old surfer bitten by a shark northwest of Santa Rosa Island on Saturday was airlifted by the Coast Guard to the mainland and transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital where he was reported in stable condition. “This was the best …

A 37-year-old surfer bitten by a shark northwest of Santa Rosa Island on Saturday was airlifted by the Coast Guard to the mainland and transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital where he was reported in stable condition.

“This was the best possible outcome to a truly terrifying situation,” Lt. Benjamin McIntyre-Coble, the Coast Guard Sector-Los Angeles/Long Beach command duty officer, said in a Coast Guard bulletin.

The incident occurred around 3 p.m. off the island that is located 26 miles from Santa Barbara, Calif., according to the Coast Guard report.

An unnamed friend told KEYT that the surfer believed it to be a great white shark, and the attack was so powerful it shattered his surfboard into pieces.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Spearfisherman dragged out to sea by great white shark

One twitter user claiming to be a boat partner of the victim said that his friend was paddling out to surf from the boat when the shark attacked from below and launched him into the air. He was said to have suffered four lacerations across his right thigh. He swam to the boat and the Coast Guard was called.

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A tourniquet, as can be seen in the Coast Guard video, was applied to the right leg.

“This individual was fortunate to be with a buddy who was able to communicate their position to the Coast Guard,” McIntyre-Coble said. “We are all happy that he will be able to be with his family in time for the holidays.”

KEYT reported that the victim was set to be released Sunday night. KSBY said the surfer was expected to make a full recovery.

Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard.

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Surfer Mark Healey fends off shark while freediving

The accompanying video clip shows a large shark approaching Mark Healey, who ends the encounter with a firm jab to the shark’s snout.

Mark Healey makes a living as a big-wave surfer who spends most of the year chasing enormous swells around the world. But when the athlete isn’t riding waves, he often seeks solitude and adventure beneath the surface, freediving with a speargun, hunting fish for the dinner table.

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I’ve found that it’s worthwhile to make every effort (within reason) to not let sharks take a fish you’ve speared. They’re fast learners and when they are rewarded for a behavior they usually double down on it. That’s why they’ve been around for eons. Sometimes it’s unavoidable and the sharks beat you to your fish. This video is an example of how they act after being “rewarded”. I lost a fish to about five sharks earlier in the dive. Once that happens they have way less hesitation and they’ll shadow you all day. Even follow the boat if you switch spots sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t feel in danger at all here, but if I ended up shooting that Wahoo, you know this shark would have been all over it. Another good reason to avoid having the sharks take your fish (besides losing your food) is that you don’t want them to associate divers with food. It might not be a problem for you that day, but it may end up being a problem for the unwitting diver that that wild animal encounters next time.

A post shared by Mark Healey (@healeywaterops) on

This sometimes puts Healey in close proximity to sharks looking for an easy meal.

The accompanying video clip, posted to Instagram on Sunday, shows a large Galapagos shark approaching Healey, who ends the encounter with a firm jab to the shark’s snout with his spear tip.

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“I’ve found that it’s worthwhile to make every effort (within reason) to not let sharks take a fish you’ve speared,” Healey wrote. “They’re fast learners and when they are rewarded for a behavior they usually double down on it.

“Sometimes it’s unavoidable and the sharks beat you to your fish. This video is an example of how they act after being ‘rewarded.’

Healey told For The Win Outdoors that he was diving off French Polynesia when the encounter occurred. He had recently lost a fish to several sharks that had been close by, and Healey had been eyeing a wahoo (also seen in the video clip) when the Galapagos shark approached.

“There’s no shortage of sharks down there,” Healey said. “This shark was shadowing me to see if it could get another easy meal. It doesn’t have an aggressive posture towards me, but they don’t mind a bit of physical contact once they’re fired up.

“It had a competitive feeding situation when it vied with other sharks earlier in the day to eat my fish. It’s kind of like throwing a French fry to seagulls. Once they’ve seen it they’re not afraid to get close to you because they’re more concerned about beating the other seagulls to the next possible French fry.”

Healey, 38, who lives in Hawaii, said encounters like this are not uncommon in locations where sharks are plentiful, and he generally tries to exit the water as quickly as possible after securing his catch.

“You just have to read the scenario,” he said.