Surfer punches great white shark repeatedly in eye during attack and paddles back to shore
A New Zealand surfer determined to ride the waves was not about to be knocked off – even by a three-metre long great white shark.
Nick Minogue, 60, was around 50 metes off the Pauanui Beach coastline when the shark – equipped with up to 300 teeth - latched onto his board and bit his arm.
Remembering that he had heard sharks don’t like a punch to the eye or nose, Mr Minogue’s reaction was as instant as it was ferocious.
"By the time I realised what was going on its teeth were definitely latched on to the front section of the board,” he told the New Zealand Herald.
"So I actually shouted at it 'f***off' and went to punch it in the eye and missed.
"Then I pulled my fist back and shouted 'f*** off' again and got it right smack bang in the eye.
"It's quite a big eye, about three knuckles across, and its eye kind of looked up and rolled up.
"In between the two punches it crunched down a bit more on the board and then disengaged its teeth, got its jaws off and then I got brushed by the dorsal fin and the tail fin and swam off."
On his way back to shore, joined by a German surfer who he says was the only one with him out there, he was “definitely bumped by something”.
Department of Conservation marine scientist Clinton Duffy said "the photograph of the bite to the board is consistent with a fairly small white shark, aka white pointer, great white".
Marine scientist Riley Elliott, the "shark man", also said the description of the shark by Minogue matches that of a great white.
The Pauanui Beach was closed for two hours after the attack.
"I actually have a boys’ surfing trip planned to Dunedin later next week, so will have to take another board," he added.