A great white shark estimated to be 15-foot long stalked a spearfisherman before biting his swim fin about a mile and a quarter off Burns Beach near Perth in western Australia on Saturday morning.
The unidentified spearfisherman and two others were about 100 yards off the northern boundary of the Marmion Marine Park when they saw the shark circling around their boat for several minutes, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
“It was with one of the divers for up to five minutes and bit the diver’s fin, which the diver lost,” the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said, according to ABC. “There were no injuries sustained.”
A shark warning was issued for Burns Beach in the City of Joondalup, PerthNow reported.
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Surf Life Saving WA was requested to conduct helicopter patrols of the area where the shark encounter occurred, the government’s Shark Smart website reported.
The Marmion Marine Park is described by Parks and Wildlife as a paradise for divers.
“The clear shallow lagoons, reefs and small islands of Marmion Marine Park are a diver’s paradise, forming ledges, caves and swimthroughs inhabited by a wonderful array of fish and invertebrate species,” it says.
Photos of a shark and Burns Beach are courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.
