A spectacular incident took place in Australia a few weeks ago. There allegedly a Great White Shark has overturned the kayak of an 15-year-old girl and thereby thrown the child into the water. The teenager was then in agony and escaped only by a spectacular action the meter-long shark. Experts explain the behavior of the shark.

As various international media reports, it has an incident in Australia with an 15-year-old girl in your kayak and one Great white shark given. To outsiders, the story sounds as adventurous as if it had come from the horror film “Jaws”. The father of 15-year-old Sarah Williams, who was an eyewitness to the incident, told The Australian newspaper how the accident with the great white shark happened. Accordingly, Williams was traveling in her kayak on the coast of South Australia near Normanville, south of Adelaide, when a Any her boat had rammed and she had flown straight through the air into the water.

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Kayak overturned – adventurous shark attack in Australia happened like in the movie

After the girl flew through the air, she landed in the water and screamed like crazy, reports Chris Williams, the girl's father. For Williams, the situation was like in the film “Jaws”. A huge predatory fish had also attacked people there. As “The Australian” reports, the child fought for his survival in the water. To protect herself from the shark, the girl initially escaped back into the kayak.

Reports that the girl stood on the animal's back to get back into the kayak are probably based on a translation error. According to the English-language media, she is “back into the boat” and not “on the back of the shark into the boat”. Initially, the news spread that the girl had climbed onto the shark's back, which sounds quite far-fetched.

Great white shark attack in Australia – father describes spectacular family rescue

The shark then continued to circle the tiny boat. The dorsal fin was clearly visible in the sea. The girl also said afterwards that the attack was just like in the movie Jaws. “I saw the shark when I was in the water. I saw what it was and I saw the fin the whole time,” the 15-year-old told Australian media. The father was deathly afraid for his daughter. “If it had lasted just ten seconds longer, my daughter would be dead now,” Chris Williams said.

His daughter and he still had problems days after that with what had happened: "The events of the day are still looking for us home," he reported. "I never want to experience this again, the piercing screams of my daughter were simply indescribable". She calmed down when her father brought the girl to his boat. With this boat, Chris Williams then diverted the shark, while his wife and his other daughter in a second canoe ran the distance and paddled to the safe shore.

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Shark expert explains the behavior of the Great White Shark in Australia

The story of the man and his daughter does not just sound like a movie for us. Compared to the Südwestrundfunk (SWR) said the shark expert and president of the animal protection organization Sharkproject International, Gerhard Wegner, that he considers the story to be very adventurous. He said he still thought the story was possible. According to the shark expert, the Great White Shark could have been in the so-called curiosity mode. If sharks are curious, they may approach objects like this kayak with the girl and even touch it.

If a great white shark hears noises in the water, such as those made by the kayak, it may come up and nudge the kayak to see what it is. “It wasn't an attack, it was just a look - what's so funny? He then went around the kayak and hit the boat and knocked it over. That may be. “That can happen quite easily with a great white shark,” explains Wegner to SWR. The shark expert suspects that it was most likely not the animal's intention to take the 15-year-old girl out of the kayak or even to attack her afterwards. The animal was simply curious.

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My detailed conclusion

The world of sharks is riddled with myths, misunderstandings and media spectacles. But amidst this confusion, one truth remains undisputed: the great white shark is a fascinating creature that captures the interest and admiration of divers worldwide.

In fact, shark attacks on humans are a rarity. With only about six fatal attacks per year worldwide, the risk of being injured or killed by a shark is minimal, especially when compared to more commonplace threats we face every day. It's no wonder that many divers chase the adrenaline rush of encountering these majestic sea predators in their natural habitat. Places like the island of Guadaloupe are famous for their encounters with the Great White, including the famous "Deep Blue", possibly the largest known specimen of its kind.

Of course there are risks. Human-shark interactions are not always predictable, and there have been cases where sharks have entered diving cages due to baitfish. But these incidents should not be considered standard for typical shark behavior, but rather as rare anomalies in a world where sharks and humans can coexist peacefully.

We at have been lucky enough to encounter some of the most impressive shark species around the globe, from the waters of Thailand to the clear blues of the Red Sea and the warm currents of the Maldives. Each of these experiences has only increased our fascination and respect for these animals. Our hope is that future generations of divers will continue to have the opportunity to appreciate and protect the beauty, elegance and importance of these magnificent predatory fish.

Have you ever dived with sharks or perhaps had an unpleasant experience with the predatory fish? Share your experiences in the comments!