"The board exploded, one half went that way, the other half went that way, there was just whitewash and debris everywhere."
The human mind sure does move in some mysterious ways, worshipping certain animals, slaughtering others.
At around seven thirts this morn, Cabarita surfer Brad Ross, surfing his B-grade local point in crystal-clear waist-deep water on a dreamy later winter’s morn, was hit by what was initially thought to be a twelve-foot Great White although this has been subsequently upgraded to a fifteen-footer.
A surf cam and a drone captured the almost-final moments of the surfer as the Great White, a protected species in Australia since 1999, turned the tranquil tableaux into a scene out of the fabled Jaws series. Kelly Slater was quick to lend his perspective to the event writing on Instagram, “Lucky to be alive.”
According to witnesses interviewed by the state broadcaster, “The man was sitting on his board and the shark literally bit the board behind his butt.
“The board just popped, like it exploded, and it flew up in the air and by this time there was a man up on the rocks going, ‘Oi, come in.’
“The board exploded, one half went that way, the other half went that way, there was just whitewash and debris everywhere.”
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Now, it can be revealed that a little over two hours after Ross was nearly sent to the heavens, the Department of Primary Industries caught and released a fifteen-foot Great White, caught on one of its smart drumlines, nearby.
DPI advise 5M White shark caught and released from SMART drumline at Norries headland, CABARITA BEACH at 09:52 am on 18 Aug 2025.
— SharkSmart (@NSWSharkSmart) August 18, 2025
Now, I dunno about you, but the DPI would’ve known about the attack, there ain’t that many fifteen-foot Great Whites around, although clearly the numbers of G Dubs are pretty robust, maybe not such a fine idea to cut it loose?
Or no, we are but visitors to the Great White’s kingdom?
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https://media2.giphy.com/me… According to marine biologist sharks are our friends.
Maybe tomorrow the shark could have grown to 20′???
Without the brilliant and insightful commentary from Slater, how could we comprehend this event?
“A surf cam and a drone captured the almost-final moments of the surfer as the Great White, a protected species in Australia since 1999, turned the tranquil tableaux into a scene out of the fabled Jaws series.”
Where’s the footage?
on the insta clip on the previous article… kinda grainy and fucked at the same time.
Who would’ve guessed that surfing a mid-length could actually be an advantage.
I hear great whites prefer thrusters
Luckily I surf a quad in our GW rich and relatively surfer free waters but my board is yellow so theres that.
I surf a 2+1….which seems to deter GWS’s…..and boards are bright colored so my boards looks like a tropical fish….LOL
Haha, Ja perhaps a really short tropical fish sized twinnie.
maybe a rainbow , then the sharks would think you were a unicorn?
While I surf poorly and have been told the juvenile GWs are always lurking, I’ve never seen one close up, so I’m left to wonder was it due to my previously red longboard that was just replaced with a white board? Should I switch to yellow board or should I drink more while continuing to not worry about that which I cannot control?
Feels surreal to be engaging with a long boarder. Maybe the first time ever. But surprisingly it feels OK and I’m not too worried so perhaps we shouldn’t worry about sharks either because they’re way less irritating in the water :))))
SHHH, I won’t tell anyone about this interaction. I spend more time watching real, non-longboard surfers surfing, along with their agro dads barking at those who dare catch a wave near their budding king of the sport of kings, than I do surfing
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
should we really worry about the capitaists or the ants?…LOL
There’s no way 20 million people a year die at Cabarita.
It’s true ! The embarrassment of flapping about at a B grade point tips them over and they die!
Xox
I love Cabarita, such a nice wave. I think poto surfed it in the sultans of speed video . In no hurry to surf it now though!
I jest! I wouldn’t know the place if I fell over it!
All good mate! I surfed there as a grom when we would go on holidays. It’s fun, like Greenmount. Too bad about all the fucking sharks!
I heard there was more?
Lies, damn lies and statistics – and complete and utter nonsense as far as shark risk is concerned
yes..damn statistics……shark risk has always been there and always will….chances are minimal…..and when you see one , marvel at seeing a prehistoric animal , that actually has intelligence….we are not on the menu!
Chances are minimal Brutus, depending on where you live. Esperance, Streaky Bay, Recife, Reunion, not so. And if one’s in the water near surfers, better hope it’s seen well before it singles out one individual, or they could well end up on the menu.
isn’t it great that we now know there are certain areas where shark attacks are ?
Ahh not sure about that, if you live in those areas and lose a friend or family member or they get maimed for life, then no.
bruz, last 6 white attacks all full consumption.
They ate the people they attacked.
Like I previously told J Kunty Calhoun, if a shark is gonna attack me they had better eat all of me.
Finish me off. Swallow me whole or take me deep and share me with other sea creatures.
None of this biting off an appetizer arm or leg then then swimming off. That’s just wasteful.
Tamayo would know what I mean. RIP to all the honorable humans who have fed our beloved sharks.
Oh yeah, I can’t wait to read your review of J Kunty Calhoun’s SurfExploit book. You know it’s available for pre order now on Amazon.
which 6 where?
Last one at Esperance- full consumption, no body recovered.
2025 Granites- full consumption, no body recovered.
2023 Granites -full consumption, no body recovered
2023 Elliston -full consumption, no body recovered
2022 Sydney -full consumption, no body recovered
2021 – Esperance -full consumption, no body recovered
Mate, most of the white shark attacks in South Oz the person is eaten whole and no body is recovered.
Including Cameron Bayes and Jevon Wright on consecutive days in 2000 at Cactus and Blacks.
You got sucked in by some cute white chick on Netflix.
Nice one CB!
You include Gaza in the capitalists figures? Ethnic cleansing to sell now prime properties on the Med coast…
They are gonna LOVE South Sudan!
would like to see the hamas/islam numbers, and mosquitos
A fifteen-foot shark in Australia is twelve foot Hawaiian –
until you come down to the great southern coasts……….where the surf and the sharks are another dimension!
so whys there no shark attacks in the vic, tas, south nsw area? i guess overfishing wouldnt help in SA
biiiig sharks seem to be all we see in the South…..in Vicco plenty of seal colonies……in SA they have shark cages which feed sharks….mostly burley/chum and not blubber…….?
It’s like that in Northern California and Oregon also- makes SoCal waves and sharks look small
Measured from the back?
Heyyyy. The Germans are now making English language documentaries about surfing.
https://youtu.be/rZ0_oqQ1kio?si=FAzgAsBZ-GE7ciwL
What’ll be next? Will DW make a hard-hitting documentary about the income inequality that is rife throughout the surf world, where one group of surfers simply because of having a a different (and questionable (this is a pun)) chromosome?
15 footer in waist deep water…man o’ man…its belly and bum musta been scrapin’ sand.
It had sand in it’s vagina apparently !
Xox
15ft is huge to be in close. I’m glad old mate was lucky as fuck today as a direct hit would have been catastrophic. Weekly attacks now seems.
DPI = Drum and Dumber
It’s all good our drum lines caught it so we let it go.
Ya don’t suppose there’s more than one, dpi ?
Might be more than two, dpi ?
What do they know ? really …
Need more $$$$$ to quantify.
It’s all overfishing by comms fault.
Probs a good little inducement to ride a mid on small, clean days and lengthen the amount of fibreglass whitey can eat without hitting the femoral.
Story to tell instead of grey on the beach.
I looked at empty peelers this morning and turned away on a gut feeling.
Chainmail wrapped rails.
White caught and released at Lennox today, too.
pleaded not guilty? my dog woulda got put down
gut feeling was correct.
If thats the sacrifice I have to make then I am staying on the beach. No twinkle toeing on a mid for this guy.
Fuckin A you Ausies have balls. I already quit surfing. Butt fuck me. That’s for you Dogsnuts.
So you quit surfing & turned gay?
He’s a realist
It ain’t such a bad trade.
A solid proposition on dogsnuts.
He’s been asking for this blowing all those kisses..
Surfing is gay, you just swap out some gayness.
Xox
Hello darling! You are seen!
Xox