Just weeks after surfer Mick Fanning experienced a very close encounter with a shark, he returned to the water during an interview with 60 Minutes. The interview detailed Fanning’s entire encounter with the shark after the cameras cut away. Fanning revealed that he actually punched the shark in the side to make his narrow escape:
What people didn’t see when the board went back down is that the wave came back again. The shark came straight past and I didn’t know what to do, so I thought I would just punch it or whatever. I punched it right between the main dorsal fin and the side fin.
I was like, hang on, if you just keep swimming that way, then [the shark] can just come from behind and you won’t even see it, so that’s why I turned around. I can see my feet so I’ve got at least that much time to make a decision on what to do. I was just trying to get as high as I could in the water.
Apparently, the myth about punching a shark right in the nose to get away has some truth to it. Fanning’s account of the shark encounter is even more incredible than the live action video.
What’s even more incredible: Fanning saw a fin swimming near him during his first return to the water. The three-time world champion surfer just can’t stay away from sharks. He’s bundled a lifetime of shark encounters into one month. Hopefully this one will be his last.
