Pic captures surfer oblivious to sharks around her

Cape Town - A lone surfer near Strandfontein in False Bay defied the bustle of treknet fishing activity to paddle out among the waves Tuesday, seemingly oblivious to large sharks swimming all around her, Wavescape reported on Wednesday.

Cape Town photographer Jean Tresfon was taking photographs while on a gyrocopter flight over False Bay Tuesday morning when he spotted a longboarder surfing at Strandfontein right near a group of trek net fishermen probably going for yellowtail. 

Tresfon told Wavescape that the surfer, who appeared to be a woman, was on a longboard and appeared oblivious to the sharks, even though he hovered above her for about five minutes.

"On the first pass I saw five large sharks within a few hundred metres. As I watched, several of the sharks passed within metres of the longboarder, with one even swimming right underneath her."

He said that she was looking up at him, and seemed irritated, when the shark passed beneath her. "The surfer seemed oblivious to the presence of the sharks."

- Full story and photos: Wavescape

(Jean Tresfon, via Wavescape)