A spearfisherman recently shared on social media his heart-pounding experience with a great white shark while fishing off the coasts of Sydney, Australia.
Sam Clothier was out spearfishing with his friends Tommy and Fletch when the great white shark, known for running the popular Wet Mammal YouTube channel, appeared just meters away.
Shark sightings are quite common in Australian waters, especially while spearfishing. Clothier mentioned that the area where they were fishing is known to have frequent shark activity.
The Flinders University shark ecology group reports that the great white shark population in Australia is on the rise after being significantly reduced due to fishing impacts. Conservation efforts have been in place for over 20 years, but their slow reproduction rate hinders the recovery process.
Clothier, who often posts videos on social media, managed to capture images of the shark during the encounter.
Clothier expressed that encountering the great white shark was more surprising than worrying. He usually finds other shark species like bull sharks more intimidating, especially in challenging conditions for diving.
Clothier shared the images of the encounter on Reddit’s r/Spearfishing subreddit, where fellow fishermen were amazed and even spooked by the experience.
One Reddit user commented, “Nopity, nope, nope,” while another described it as “one of the most breathtaking and frightening ocean experiences.”
Clothier was pleased with the positive responses he received on social media, stating, “I love sharing my once-in-a-lifetime wildlife experiences and also learning from others.”
Reflecting on the encounter, Clothier mentioned, “We did everything right during the encounter, and luckily, no one was harmed. It was a special moment that we can’t complain about.”