CANBERRA // A 10-year-old surfer had a close encounter with a photobombing shark that shared a wave with him off an Australian beach.
Chris Hasson said on Thursday he was taking photos of his son Eden riding a wave off Samurai Beach at Port Stephens, 180 kilometres north of Sydney, on Tuesday when something unexpected and indistinct caught his eye.
He discovered he had photographed the face of a twisting shark just below the surface with his son on an apparent collision course.
“I saw the second photo and [thought] – no way,” Mr Hasson said. “I quickly called him in and whistled.”
“He [Eden] saw a shape in the wave and thought it was seaweed and felt something as he went over the top – he got his leg rope caught on something – but he thought nothing of it until he saw the photo,” Mr Hasson said.
James Cook University shark researcher Andrew Chin said the photographed shark was possibly a small great white.
“From the angle, it looks like the shark was spooked and is rolling away from the board to escape it,” Mr Chin said. “There is no way that this is a hunting approach.”
Eden said he was glad he had not seen the shark until he was safe on the beach and saw the photo.
“If I was on the wave and saw it, I probably would’ve freaked out and fell off,” Eden said. “I was lucky I didn’t fall off.”
Port Stephens is on the northern coast of New South Wales state which has experienced an rapid increase in shark attacks since a Japanese tourist was killed by a great white in early 2015.
Mr Hasson said he was back in the surf with Eden and his siblings, aged 12 and 5, on Wednesday to enjoy the final week of the school summer holiday.
“Everyone’s back to business. It’s too good a lifestyle sport not to,” Mr Hasson said.
* Associated Press
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
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If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
BIG SPENDERS
Premier League clubs spent £230 million (Dh1.15 billion) on January transfers, the second-highest total for the mid-season window, the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said in a report.
Match info
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Sterling (14'), Bernardo Silva (64')
