Shark Attack In Balian, Bali

An Australian surfer has been attacked by a shark while surfing the brackish waters of Balian on the west coast of Bali. Daniel Qeran, 48, was bitten on his right hand, wrist and fingers by a shark estimated to be around one metre long. He was rushed to BIMC for treatment with non-life threatening injuries. 

The attack occurred moments after two other surfers were bumped, according to a report by website, Coconuts Bali.

That brings the tally of shark attacks in the Balian area to six in as many years by our count. Speaking to Stab in April last year, longtime American expat, Eddie Biancardi said sharks were a common sight in the area.

“The first attack was about five years ago, and then three more attacks followed in a two-year period. The truth is, there have always been sharks here. I’ve been living in Balian for nine years and surfing here for about 15 years, and I’ve always seen sharks. They have a tendency to jump out of the water. Last year a local fisherman caught a bull shark from the beach. Most of the attacks have been while the water was murky from the river flowing, which yesterday it definitely was.”

BTW, good (recent) footage of Balian is difficult to come by. You’ve gotta look a little deeper into the rearview. So, here’s a section from Billabong’s seminal 1993 film, Sons Of Fun, starring Shane Dorian, Ross Williams and Brendan Margo. It’s incredible.