A West Australian windsurfer has escaped with only a bitten board after a suspected encounter with a great white shark at a popular surfing spot.
What happened?
On November 10, windsurfer Andy McDonald was riding a hydrofoil (an electric windsurfing board that allows riders to hover over the water) at the famous surfing resort of Bombie, about three hours’ drive south of Perth. At around 6 p.m. local time, a shark suddenly dragged the 61-year-old’s surfboard underwater and bit out a large piece.
Video of the encounter shows McDonald’s immediate reaction. After falling on the shark, he punched the shark, climbed onto the sail and floated, calling for help.
With the help of friends, MacDonald successfully rowed back to shore. Remarkably, the windsurfer was uninjured, only his board was damaged.
“I’m lucky it didn’t come back for a tastier bite,” he told the Brisbane Herald.
The species of shark has not been confirmed, but it is suspected to be a great white shark. Experts hope to identify the species by analyzing the DNA of McDonald’s board of directors, Perth’s Nine News reported.
“I live to tell this story,” Macdonald told the Augusta Margaret River Post. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep for a week.”
Why is it important to understand this attack?
Sharks do not actively hunt humans, and attacks on humans are extremely rare. Despite this, The Guardian reports that there has been an increase in unprovoked shark incidents in Australia due to changing ocean conditions.
Ocean warming and habitat loss are reshaping shark behavior, movement and food sources. As sea temperatures rise, sharks, including great whites, are changing their hunting grounds and migrating at different times of the year, following prey that move due to changing conditions.
These changes can cause sharks to appear in new places or at unexpected times, increasing the likelihood of human-wildlife encounters. At the same time, as the warm season lengthens, more people spend time in the water, creating more overlap.
Sharks are an important indicator of overall ocean health. These unusual encounters may herald larger changes in marine ecosystems, from food web strains to habitat destruction.
What measures do we take in response to shark encounters?
This particular incident was reported to the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, which issued an alert. Such warnings can help protect people from dangerous encounters with marine animals—but only if people pay attention. Swimmers and surfers returned to the Bombie break the day after the attack, Perth News 9 reported.
Marine researchers are continuing to monitor the movements of great white sharks to understand changing behavioral patterns and identify potential hotspots before danger occurs. Communities can support these efforts by supporting conservation policies that protect marine habitats, reducing pollution and runoff into waterways, and following local safety guidelines when entering the ocean.
Ultimately, protecting marine ecosystems is critical to protecting ourselves. Healthier waters support more stable food webs and help keep predators safer in natural habitats and coastal communities.
Learning to coexist with marine animals is critical to addressing global climate change affecting wildlife behavior. For MacDonald, coexistence means returning to the boardroom.
“It’s not going to stop me,” McDonald told the Brisbane Herald on the day of the attack. “I might go tomorrow – not today. With another board.”
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