Great white slams boat

Second shark encounter in Tasmanian waters this month

A PAIR of Tasmanian fishermen have captured the moment a great white shark slammed into their boat in a deep sea encounter.

The second shark encounter with a boat in Tasmanian waters this month happened at Beechford in the state’s North when a large shark hit the vessel while one of its occupants was filming a seal colony.

Footage shows the pair reel back in shock as the shark collided with the boat before the driver accelerated away.

The shark then whips its tail from the water’s surface, giving a clear indication of its species.

“It was definitely a white shark, all the signs are there,” shark expert Chris Black said.

“It had dark grey colouration on the dorsal and a white underside and a very distinct tail called a lunate because of its near-perfect crescent shape.”

It comes after 10-year-old Latrobe boy Lucas Arnott was grabbed from a fishing boat near Stanley earlier this month, leaving him with wounds to his chest, head and arm.

Mr Black said the second great white shark encounter in Tasmanian waters this month should be no cause for panic.

“Sharks are in our waters during winter and they are to be expected where seals gather.”

Mr Black said the two men involved in this week’s encounter near Beechford should be congratulated for how they handled the incident.

“They did everything right. They left the area as soon as it happened and have since expressed concern for the shark’s welfare, which is rare yet admirable,” Mr Black said.

FishTas.com managing director Carl Hyland said he was aware of calls for a shark cull, with some suggesting the same shark was involved in both attacks.

“I think that is just ridiculous,” he said. “There are so many sharks in our waters. There is no telling it’s the same one, and even if it was, calls for a cull are just misinformed.

“Both cases involved people in large boats in shark locations. We’re in their environment.”