Great White Shark Bites Paddleski off Nahoon Reef, South Africa

On the afternoon of July 24, 1982, a 38-year-old male paddleskier was navigating the waters off Nahoon Reef near East London in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The popular surfing destination, located approximately 75 meters from shore in the Indian Ocean, was experiencing murky sea conditions with a water temperature estimated at 16°C. At approximately 16h00 (4:00 PM), positioned beyond the breakers, the paddleskier encountered a great white shark measuring approximately 2.45 meters (8 feet) in length. The shark approached and bit the back of his paddleski, lifting it partially from the water. The athlete was not physically injured in the encounter. The shark left behind a seven-millimeter tooth fragment embedded approximately one centimeter deep in the ski. This physical evidence would prove invaluable for species identification and investigation. In response to the incident, baited lines were deployed off Nahoon Reef in an attempt to locate the shark. On August 13, 1982, a 2.45-meter great white shark weighing 128 kilograms was captured. Upon examination, the shark displayed a broken tooth that precisely matched the fragment recovered from the paddleski, providing definitive confirmation of the shark's identity—a rare occurrence in shark incident investigations. This incident exemplified how scientific examination and evidence collection can establish concrete links between sharks and specific encounters, contributing valuable data to shark behavior research and incident documentation.