A surfer in his 50s is recovering in hospital after being bitten by a shark at a well-known surf spot in South Australia.
The man was in the water at D’Estrees Bay on Kangaroo Island — specifically in an area locals know as “The Sewer” — when he was bitten twice on the leg on Tuesday afternoon. Despite his injuries, he managed to drive himself to the hospital, where he is now set to undergo emergency surgery.
Shark Watch South Australia confirmed the attack happened around 1:37 p.m. Witnesses at the scene reported seeing a large shark chasing seals in the bay shortly before the incident occurred.
It’s believed the attacker was a bronze whaler shark, a species commonly found in both coastal and offshore waters across South Australia. Bronze whalers can grow up to 3.3 meters long and weigh as much as 300 kilograms.
This isn’t the first time D’Estrees Bay has made headlines for a shark encounter. Back in 2020, surfer Dion Lynch, then 29, survived a brutal attack at the same location. Lynch later described the moment he was bitten while sitting on his board, saying, “It was like being hit by a truck.” The shark bit him on the back, buttocks, and elbow, and even took a chunk out of his surfboard. “I got a glimpse of the shark as it let go and disappeared,” he recalled.
D’Estrees Bay remains a popular, though remote, surf destination on Kangaroo Island — known not just for its waves, but also for occasional shark sightings, particularly when seals are present.
Authorities have not closed the beach at this time, but local surfers and swimmers are being urged to remain cautious.