Twice In One Day: Second Shark Attack In Western Australia - Stab Mag

Stab High Sydney is live on October 10 + 11 (Oct 9 + 10 4pm PST)

320 Views

Twice In One Day: Second Shark Attack In Western Australia

A 41-year old Denmark man was bitten at Lefthanders by a 4-metre Great White within walking distance of the first attack. 

news // Apr 16, 2018
Words by stab
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Earlier this morning a 37 year old man was attacked at Cobblestones near Gracetown in Western Australia. This afternoon, the unthinkable happened.

At around 3pm local time, a 41-year old Denmark surfer has also been attacked by what is being reported as a 4-metre Great White at Lefties. 

A 4-metre Great White was also spotted by Surf Life Saving Officials shortly after the initial attack at Cobblestones.

The second attack happened at Lefthanders, another quality wave in the Gracetown region within a few kilometres of the first attack this morning at Cobbles. According to ‘WA Today’, the man who was bitten did not realise the beach was closed and reports seeing the 4-metre shark approach him just before it attacked. 

The surfer who suffered the attack got off lucky in comparison to his board and the surfer in the first attack. Photo. ABC/Michael Stamp

The man was being treated on site for the minor injuries he sustained. Thankfully, these injuries were significantly less than those suffered by the surfer in this morning’s attack.

Due to the similarities between earlier shark sightings and this afternoon’s attack, questions are now being raised as to the possibility that this is the same shark striking twice. 

A whale carcass was also found at Lefthanders this morning, surfers were warned this may attract sharks closer towards shore and it appears this was likely the case. 

Shark attacks are all too common in Western Australia and these two attacks today merely add to the ongoing conversation surrounding shark control and monitoring techniques; a topic which we’re sure will be heavily discussed in the coming weeks. 

Already the West Australian Opposition Leader, Dr Mike Nahan put the word out calling for immediate action, although he doesn’t allude to what kind:

“West Australians understand human lives must be prioritised over sharks, it is a failure of leadership from Mark McGowan [the WA Premier] if he doesn’t act now.”

The Margaret River Pro has also been called off for tomorrow, however, this is due to a lack of forecasted swell rather than the two shark attacks which occurred today. 

A shot of the whale carcass beached at Lefthanders, the site of the second attack. Photo. Gian De Poloni/ABC News

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Your Beach Now Belongs To Someone Richer

How colonial laws and resort walls are locking Jamaican surfers out of their own island.

Oct 12, 2025

Joel Vaughan & Sierra Kerr Just Beat The World Champs At Stab High Sydney

Loci Cullen and Skai Suitt win Bottle Rockets and Ladybirds, all presented by Monster Energy.

Oct 11, 2025

Watch: Best Stab High Ever?

We're not into hyperbole — just repeating what we heard on site.

Oct 11, 2025

Watch The Replay: Finals Day At Stab High Sydney Presented By Monster Energy 

Time to give away $60k. 

Oct 10, 2025

The World vs The World Champ At Stab High Sydney x Monster Energy Day 1

No, Yago Dora did not win today. But he did surf incredibly well.

Oct 10, 2025

Full Replay: Day 1 Of Stab High Sydney Presented By Monster Energy 

271 air sections vs 53 surfers, including the 2025 world champ, pro skaters, children, and…

Oct 9, 2025

We Built An Acid Drop For The Stab High Warm-Ups

Poolside from Sydney, presented by Monster Energy.

Oct 9, 2025

SEOTY: Portugal’s Shark-Eyed Prince João Mendonça In ‘Same Same’

You won’t hear much from the young Portuguese surfer's mouth, but his SEOTY entry says…

Oct 8, 2025

How To Win Stab High, According To The Defending Champ 

“I’d rather lose first heat and have heaps of fun than win a comp being…

Oct 8, 2025

Breaking: Yago Dora And Molly Picklum To Headline Stab High Sydney 2025 x Monster Energy

World champs vs. the world.

Oct 6, 2025

Does Kelly Slater Know Who Andrew Jacobson Is?

Does anybody? Let's find out in Chapter11's latest character profile, 'This is Where I Am'.

Oct 5, 2025

The Olympic Gold Medalist Is Now World #1

And a 14-year-old girl is right there beside him — our Portugal CS Report.

Oct 5, 2025

Can Surfing Ever Stop Destroying The Places It Loves?

A critical examination of surf tourism via Rebecca Coley's new film, 'Point Of Change.'

Oct 5, 2025

What Does It Really Mean To Be An OnlyFans ‘Athlete’?

We asked Lucia Martiño and Brooke Daigneault, who've been using the platform in very different…

Oct 3, 2025

Nate Florence Signs Career-Altering Deal With Red Bull

"With their resources it's like, am I getting a helicopter to surf iceberg slabs off…

Oct 2, 2025

Surfing’s 2025 Q3 Report

Surfing’s culture, champions, and environmental mutations — audited by men in grey suits.

Oct 2, 2025

Watch: 69 Tubes, 3 Turns, And A Jonah Hill Interrogation

The recipe for Tosh Tudor's latest film, Tubefession.

Oct 1, 2025

Ferrari Boyz: Curren Caples

“Teslas are a bit like driving your laptop,” blacked out V8 Benz wagons on the…

Oct 1, 2025
Advertisement