Great White Shark Bites Fishing Ski off KwaZulu-Natal Coast

On the morning of November 11, 2018, Bryon Machado, a 41-year-old school teacher, launched his surf-ski with a friend shortly after sunrise off Tinley Manor Beach on South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal North Coast. The area, part of the renowned Dolphin Coast, is known for resident dolphins and seasonal whale migrations. While paddling with live bait on his fishing line, Machado's attention was suddenly caught by movement to his left. A three-meter great white shark emerged from deeper water, striking with remarkable speed and force. "I saw this flash on my left hand side," Machado recounted. "It came up from the deep and the shark hit me from the side." The encounter was violent and chaotic. The shark's impact launched the surf-ski into the air, but Machado managed to land back in his seat. The shark continued its assault, biting down on the vessel and thrashing violently. "It felt like hours but it was probably about 10 seconds," he said, his most vivid memory being the direct eye contact with the predator. Within seconds, the shark recognized that the surf-ski was not suitable prey and released it. Machado, though shaken, paddled back to shore while his damaged vessel took on water. He emerged from the incident physically unharmed. Examiners from the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board analyzed bite marks on the surf-ski and confirmed the species as a white shark based on the distinctive damage pattern. According to Mike Anderson-Reade of the Sharks Board, great whites are notably inquisitive and are the only shark species likely to investigate objects in such a manner. "I don't think it was going for the person on the ski," Anderson-Reade noted, suggesting the shark was investigating the vessel itself rather than targeting the occupant. This incident exemplifies the investigative nature of great white sharks and the importance of understanding shark behavior in shared marine environments.