An Australian surfer walked away from an encounter with a massive great white shark with a memento that clearly demonstrates how close he really was to becoming fish food.
Brad Ross was surfing at Cabarita Beach, New South Wales on Monday morning August 18, 2025 when the reported 5-meter great white lunged and snapped his board in two. The encounter was caught on a local surf cam and shows the violent thrashing of the shark as it caught a mouth full of foam core.
Miraculously Ross emerged from the water unscathed and stood in disbelief holding his surfboard with a shark bite sized hole in it as a crowd gathered.
According to SharkSmart, a governmental program that tracks tagged sharks and provides real time information, a 5-meter great white was caught and released from a SMART drumline at Norries Headland in Cabarita just prior 10:00am on Monday.
This surfer’s close call comes just weeks after a 16-year-old boy suffered was seriously injured by a shark while swimming with his brother at the same beach.
Related: Great White Gets Stuck In Shark Cage With Diver Still Inside
Shark Safety Guidelines:
More than 160 species of sharks inhabit Australian waters, and around 30 of those frequent South Australia. While many shark species are capable of injuring humans, the majority are not aggressive under most circumstances. The risk of shark attack is extremely low. There are 5 species of shark in SA waters that are considered potentially dangerous:
Take the following steps to minimise the risk of human and shark interactions.
Avoid shark food sources
- Do not swim or scuba dive where there is a possible attraction or food source for sharks, including:
- areas where there are large schools of fish, pods of dolphins, seals or sea lions
- water that is being used by recreational or commercial fishers
- water with signs of bait fish or feeding activity.
- Do not enter or remain in the water if you have open wounds or are bleeding.
- Avoid having pets in the water with you.
Avoid shark habitats
- Do not swim in:
- murky waters
- near a river mouth, after heavy rainfall
- in deep channels
- between sand bars or steep drop-offs.
- Avoid swimming in the water at dawn, dusk or at night – some species of shark are known to come inshore at these times to feed.
- Do not enter the water if large sharks are known to be present.
Safety advice
If you come across a shark, do not to interact with it. If you are swimming, leave the water as quickly and calmly as possible.
If you are in a small boat or paddle craft, return to shore if it is safe to do so, or get assistance from a nearby fishing vessel.
Minimise your risk by taking these steps:
- Do not swim alone or too far from shore.
- Always swim at patrolled beaches and stay between the flags.
- Look carefully before jumping into the water from a boat or jetty.
- Leave the water if schooling fish or other wildlife start to behave erratically or congregate in large numbers.
- Refrain from excessive splashing.
