Surfer fends off a shark that he had accidentally headbutted at a nudist beach

It's not every day that you get into a fight with a shark and live to tell the story but that's exactly what a man from Australia did last week.

51-year-old Paul Kenny was enjoying a spot of Saturday morning surfing at a nudist spot at Samurai Beach in Port Stephens, New South Wales when a shark latched onto his arm.

The miner of Bateau Bay received 20 stitches in his right bicep from what he suspects was a bronze whaler shark. However, the confrontation appears to have been started by Kenny, after he accidentally headbutted the animal.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, he said:

I went to catch the last wave back in, put my head down and headbutted the shark.

I didn't know it was there and couldn't see it because it was churned up white water.

After coming into contact with the animal about 50 meters from the shore, the shark tried to take a chunk out of his arm which prompted Kenny to start punching the predator out of fear.

He added:

So I started hitting it and punching it to get it off.

I didn't know where it was and if it was going to take my legs.

However, the volunteer at Terrigal Surf Life Saving Club, has said that he has no hard feelings for the shark as he was "just going about his business."

I was in his world. He was just going about his business and I headbutted him so he retaliated.

If you are in anyway squeamish we suggest that you don't look at the following pictures of Kenny's injury.

The beach had to be shut down by the Department of Primary Industries following Kenny's attack, as it was feared that there might be an increase in shark activity in the area.

The beach was only reopened on Friday after a whale carcass was removed from the shore on the nearby One Mile Beach by National Parks and Wildlife Service officers.

It was thought that the whale carcass could have attracted more sharks to the area. An NPWS spokesperson said:

A 20-tonne excavator and front-end loader were used to remove the 10-tonne whale carcass to a local disposal site for burial away from the beach.

HT Sydney Morning Herald

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