Shark scares are becoming common place at WSL events it seems, after Mick Fanning’s close call at J-Bay last year.
While warming up for the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro yesterday, surfers Kanoa Igarashi, Jeremy Flores, Caio Ibelli, Alessa Quizon, Wiggolly Dantas and Leo Fioravanti spotted a shark in the line-up.
“I heard all the guys out the back screaming… There’s a shark!”
It was a mere 15 to 20 yards in front of them. Brazilian Caio Ibelli was the first surfer to spot the shark.
“We were all waiting to get one more wave, and everyone was talking to each other with their backs to the ocean,” he told Surfline.
“When I turned back, I saw the biggest shark not very far from us. When I called it out, everyone started paddling in super fast. We all caught the same wave — only Leo fell behind and caught the one behind us. Everyone was pretty scared.”
This comes just as the WSL have brought in new measures to monitor sharks during events with shark-detecting jet skis being brought in for the Margaret River Pro.
Kanoa Igarashi was caught describing the event to Stab Mag on camera. Watch it here.
“I heard all the guys out the back screaming,” Alessa Quizon told Surfline. “I thought there was a massive set coming, and that’s why they were screaming. I didn’t want to duck-dive that ‘set’ so I turned and went… Then I heard Caio yell, ‘There’s a shark!’ And then Kanoa: ‘I saw it!’”
Luckily, everyone made it back to shore safe – maybe having these shark-detecting jet skis isn’t a bad idea after all!
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