High alert issued after Great white shark the 'size of a boat' spotted perilously close to shoreline
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA: A public alert was issued after a great white shark the "size of a boat" was spotted swimming threateningly close to a famous beach.
The marine predator, which reportedly measured 13ft, stalked the coastline at Aldinga Beach, south of Adelaide, around 8.30 am on Saturday, January 7. Fishermen on a nearby boat filmed the moment the shark came within 500m (~1640.42ft) of the beach and dangerously close to their vessel. The shark's size was comparable to the boat sailing next to it as it lurked just beneath the surface of the water.
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According to the Daily Mail, the shark was spotted before the life-saving crew was on duty and so the authorities were alerted to help raise the alarm among unsuspecting beachgoers. The New Shark Watch South Australia shared photos of the giant predator on Facebook as a caution, noting that people were in the water at the time of the sighting. Police were immediately informed and visitors in the Aldinga Beach area were asked to exercise caution around the waters. “We encourage all members of the public in the Aldinga bay area to notify others of this shark encounter which took place around 500m off the coast, directly out from the boat ramp,” the Facebook post said.
Many beaches across South Australia were busy as people looked for ways to escape the heat, especially after temperatures in the area rose crossed 100 degrees over the weekend. It's worth noting that great white sharks are known to reach up to 19ft in length and can weigh as much as three tons. The predators, whose diet usually includes squid, fish, seals, sea lions, and dolphins, are often found along the coastline from Moreton Bay in Queensland, along the south coast of Australia, and near West Cape in Western Australia.
A Great White Shark spotted close to shore at Aldinga Beach has alarmed locals.
— 9News Adelaide (@9NewsAdel) January 7, 2023
Those on the boat believe it measured around 4 metres, when comparing it to the size of their boat. #9News pic.twitter.com/9bdhDEQZ2t
In February 2022, British diving instructor Simon Nellist lost his life after being attacked by a 13ft-long predator at Buchan Point near Little Bay in Sydney. It was reportedly the first fatal shark attack in the region in decades after actress Marcia Hathaway, 32, was tragically mauled to death while on a boating trip in Sugarloaf Bay, in Middle Harbour, in 1963.
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MEAWW previously reported how swimmers at Hillary's Dog Beach near Perth, Australia, had a brush with death on December 28, 2022, when a Tiger shark was observed lurking along the shore. A drone film recorded by beachgoer Sam Wood at Whitford beach showed the massive predator in the crystal clear Australian seas, just a few feet away from unwary bathers.
MEAWW also reported how freediver Ocean Ramsey, who is also a marine researcher and CEO of the OneOcean Diving Conservatory, released a video on her Instagram handle on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, demonstrating how she narrowly dodged the attack of a tiger shark named Queen Nikki, one of her favorite sharks, off the shore of Haleiwa, Hawaii on the island of Oahu.