Authorities have closed a popular tourist beach in Western Australia's south after a woman escaped an attack by a large shark.
The woman was about 100 metres away from the shore of Cheynes Beach — about 50 kilometres east of Albany — when the shark, estimated to be between 5 and 6 metres long, bit her surf ski and knocked her into the water just before 8am today.
The woman was not injured during the incident.
The beach has been closed.
Cheynes Beach Caravan Park manager Alan Marsh spoke to the woman who was kayaking on the ski with another person when the shark attacked.
He said the pair from New South Wales were surprisingly calm when he spoke to them less than an hour after the incident at the popular holiday beach.
"They seemed fine ... they said it won't stop them visiting the beach; they love going in the water," Mr Marsh said.
"They said the shark was as big as their ski which was about 5 metres."
Surf ski DNA tested
Fisheries officers tested the board for DNA to identify what species of shark was involved.
"You could see where the shark's grabbed it ... no chunk but you can see its teeth marks," Mr Marsh said.
There was a fatal shark attack in the area in 2014.
Mr Marsh said salmon season on the coast does tend to attract more sharks to the area but there were no sightings in recent days.
The beach will remain closed for at least 24 hours.
