A Great White Delays Mick Fanning’s Heat At J-Bay

There are sharks in the ocean. – John John Florence

Mr. Florence dropped that incredible bit of insight from the shark safety boat in the channel at J-Bay. He had just paddled out for his Quarterfinal heat and was swooped by the boat before the horn even sounded to kick it off. Obviously, the heat was delayed — waiting on the boat, John probably wished he didn’t wear a short arm.

The heat in the water when the shark, presumably a Great White, rolled through the lineup? Oh, no big deal. Just Mick Fanning and Gabriel Medina. Mick, quite famously, had a run in with a shark here two years ago. He came back and won the event last year. The mainstream media will probably have a field day with this scare but Mick seemed incredibly unfazed in an interview from the safety boat.

The shark was closely monitored and the event was called back on when it was a safe distance away from J-Bay. Even though Mick was comboed with five minutes left in the heat when the shark alarm sounded, he still went out and finished it off. Bravo, sir. 

The whole affair resulted in some of the most interesting shark footage we’ve ever seen — it was essentially a low-speed chase with a Jet Ski. 

There are, in fact, sharks in the ocean.