Shark Turns on Spear Fisherman in Australia
OutdoorHub Reporters 06.28.16
When you set out on a spearfishing excursion, it is likely you’ll see a plethora of fish. Some of them you’ll want to make the acquaintance of, and some you may not. Usually this isn’t a problem, but every now and then something unexpected happens.
While spearfishing in Australia, Brad Vale and friends noticed a shark in the proximity. While the sight of a shark itself is fairly common, the fact that this particular shark started circling was a cause for concern. The shark then made a turn and came in for a charge, at which point Vale realized this might not be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
In order to give the shark a lesson in personal space, Vale gave the shark a minor jab with his spear. This move is typically effective in sending a message to sharks that spear fishermen are not meals, but this time the message was not clearly received. Rather than leaving the area, the shark aggressively turned on Vale, latching onto his stomach.
The bite was short and did damage to Vale’s wetsuit. Despite wanting to spear the shark, thought to be a grey reef shark about 5 feet long, the incident happened too quickly and Vale was unable to do so. However, the group was able to complete their mackerel harvest without further incident.
As for the shark, it will live to see another day and has hopefully taken humans off the menu.
