A group of seasoned fishermen had an intense encounter with three great white sharks during a fishing competition in Australia.
Captain John Smith of the X-Stream fishing team shared that they were competing in an annual event off the coast of Port Stephens, New South Wales, last Saturday (February 15) when the dramatic incident unfolded.
As the team attempted to attract legal shark species to their boat, a massive five-meter great white, estimated to weigh over 1,500 pounds, suddenly approached.
Watch the terrifying footage below:
After managing to distance themselves from the first shark, a second great white appeared just 30 minutes later. Despite their efforts to deter it by feeding it, a third shark soon emerged.
“I’ve been game fishing since I was 12 years old, I’m 54 now, and I haven’t seen many great whites,” Smith told The Canberra Times.
“I saw one 20-odd years ago, a big one, but to see three in a day? That’s just next level.
“A fish that size has no fear factor.
“We teased them up with the burley bag and got some unbelievable footage.”
At one point, the shark even began chewing on the back corner of the boat.
“They’re a protected species, so we’re not allowed to fish for them. We don’t target them or try to catch them, we just try to get rid of them the best we can,” Smith explained.
Newcastle and Port Stephens Game Fish Club president Troy Radford noted that the second shark “could have done some serious damage” to their five-and-a-half-meter boat.
“They’re experienced fishermen who have seen a lot of sharks, but even they were blown away by seeing one up close. They’re beautiful creatures,” Radford told Daily Mail Australia.
He added, “Earlier, it was chewing on the corner of the boat, even gnawing on its side gunnel. It was so big that it managed to pull the boat down into the water a bit… Big fish, small boat.”
On the second day of the competition, poor weather forced organizers to call off the event. Radford later joined the team for drinks, where they eagerly showed him the footage.
“They were still so excited. They were in awe. The adrenaline was still pumping,” he said.
Radford emphasized that encountering so many great whites in a single day is incredibly rare, making this an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
