Great white shark stuns fishermen in Vic by acting ‘like a big puppy’
A great white shark has stunned two Australian fishermen by spending two hours rubbing against their boat, being handfed and even being accepting a pat on the head like an domestic pet
READING LEVEL: ORANGE
When a 4m great white shark emerged beneath their boat off Anglesea in Victoria, fishermen Kevin McLoughlin and Shane Lockyer braced for danger.
Instead, the “friendly” creature spent two hours acting like “a big puppy” playing in the water around the boat.
Geelong mates Mr McLoughlin and Mr Lockyer were fishing in their 4.3m boat on Saturday morning about 3km off Anglesea, a small township along Victoria’s famed Great Ocean Road, when the shark appeared from beneath the vessel.
The shark began repeatedly rubbing itself against the hull* before rolling onto its side and nudging the boat hard enough to rock it.
“It was like a big puppy,” Mr Lockyer said. “It wasn’t scared and probably got too friendly.”
In a video, one of the men could be seen dropping a fish into the shark’s wide-open jaws before giving it a friendly pat on the head.
Mr McLoughlin, who has been fishing regularly – often for gummy sharks* – for almost 20 years, said the shark’s behaviour was unlike anything he had experienced.
“The boat started swaying when the shark brushed its fins against it,” he said. “It was almost as long as the boat.”
The shark circled for about two hours, at times swimming alongside the vessel on its side, appearing to scratch itself against the hull.
“It would turn on its side and swim along the boat like it was scratching its back against the boat,” Mr McLoughlin said. “It would also nudge the boat, shaking the entire boat.”
The men, who had only seen one other great white before, off the South Australian coastline, said they had never witnessed such social behaviour from the species.
“(It was) a pretty wild experience,” Mr McLoughlin said. “I’ve seen one before in South Australia, but it wasn’t as friendly.”
While the fishermen’s experience may seem surprising, Australian Marine Conservation Society shark and ray expert Dr Leonardo Guida said that great whites were “really curious animals”.
“It’s not uncommon for them to pop their head out of the water and inspect what they might see and sense as an unusual object, like a boat,” Dr Guida said. “Sharks are also often known to even test-bite outboard boat engines, possibly because sharks can sense vibrations and electrical pulses the engine might be giving off in the water.”
He said seeing an animal like a great white shark in its natural habitat* was “such a cool and amazing experience”, but staying well clear of the boat’s side was always best for our wellbeing and theirs.
“Staying calm, alert, and staying secured and clear of the gunwale*, not only keeps you as safe as possible, but also makes the experience all the more enjoyable because animals can react very unpredictably to erratic* movement,” Dr Guida said.
“Whenever you encounter a large animal at sea, particularly a white shark, it’s best to immediately cease your activities, stay calm, and not touch or provoke* the animal, because wild animals are unpredictable at the best of times.
“Always try and stay out of the animal’s way and never give chase. Finally, alert nearby authorities so that both animals and people in the area can remain as safe as possible.”
Mr McLoughlin and Mr Lockyer eventually returned to shore because the shark was scaring away any fish.
SHARK SMART TOP TIPS
If you’re keen to avoid coming face-to-face with a shark in the wild, Dr Guida had these top five suggestions:
• swim at patrolled beaches and between the flags
• avoid swimming in low light conditions like at dawn/dusk or murky water
• avoid swimming near bait balls of small fish – you can spot these from shore if you see a flock of birds repeatedly dipping into the water for a feed
• swim together in groups, there’s often safety in numbers
• agree to an exit plan with your friends, so if you need to get out quickly, you know exactly where and what to do
WHY SHARKS MATTER
Healthy shark numbers are vital to a healthy ocean because they keep food webs in balance, Dr Guida said.
“If too many are killed, food webs can become unstable and possibly collapse, which affects the very seafood on your plate,” he said. “Sharks have been on Earth for around 450 million years, since before the first tree sprouted, and have survived five mass extinction* events, but with 37 per cent of their species facing extinction, the real question now is whether they will survive us.”
SHARKS ON THE MOVE
The sighting follows several recent shark encounters along the Victorian region’s coastline.
Sharks were sighted near Lorne pier on January 29 and January 6.
In late December, a 2m great white shark was caught and released about 500 metres offshore from Thirteenth Beach.
Earlier that month a young shark was also spotted on camera swimming in shallow water at Torquay, just 20km from Anglesea.
While the fishermen had a rare and amazing encounter with this great white shark, it is not an experience anyone, of any age, should attempt to replicate. Great whites are the apex predator of their marine environment. Sharks are not playful puppies – as seen in the current tense and tragic shark season in New South Wales.
There have been three fatal shark attacks in NSW in recent months – with surfer Mercury Psillakis, 57, killed by a shark at Sydney’s Northern Beaches in September and 25-year-old Swiss tourist Olivia Mulheim killed on the mid north coast in November.
Twelve-year-old Nico Antic tragically died from injuries he sustained after he was bitten by a suspected bull shark while jumping in water in Sydney Harbour on January 18, while surfer Andre de Ruyter, 27, survived an attack at North Steyne in Manly the following day.
OUR HOME IS GIRT BY SEA
Australia is an island continent, completely surrounded by water, making sharks part of our natural environment. Thankfully, shark attacks on humans remain very rare, but being shark smart helps keep people safe.
There have been no fatalities in Victoria for over 35 years, and Tasmania’s last was in 2015, but other states beyond NSW have not been as fortunate.
The last fatality in Queensland was in February last year, when a 17-year-old girl died after a shark attack at Bribie Island.
The following month, Victorian man Steven Jeffrey Payne, 37, died after a suspected great white shark attack near Esperance in WA on March 10, 2025.
In South Australia, the January 2, 2025, death of surfer Lance Appleby, 28, near Streaky Bay, was also attributed to a great white.
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POLL
GLOSSARY
- hull: the body or frame of a ship, most of which goes under the water
- gummy sharks: small, harmless and edible shark (known as “flake” on the menu), with flat rather than sharp teeth arranged in a pavement-like pattern
- habitat: the natural environment in which an animal or plant usually lives
- gunwale: the top of the side of a boat or the topmost plank of a wooden vessel
- erratic: moving or behaving in a way that is not regular, certain, or expected
- provoke: to cause a reaction, especially a negative one
- extinction: when something ceases to exist
EXTRA READING
Stay safe from sharks this season
New plan for Aussie beach safety
Rare aquarium shark birth filmed
QUICK QUIZ
- Where did the fishermen encounter the great white shark?
- Why are healthy shark numbers vital?
- Approximately how long have sharks existed?
- They have survived how many mass extinction events throughout their history?
- What are at least three of Dr Guida’s top tips for being shark smart?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. The biggest danger
What do you think is the most dangerous creature in the oceans? Write down your answer and at least three very convincing reasons for your choice.
Time: allow at least 45 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science
2. Extension
Imagine that you are the shark. Retell the story from your point of view. Use your research skills to find out about shark behaviour that will help you to include as much detail as you can. The purpose of your story is to help your readers understand sharks better, so that they can be shark smart.
Time: allow at least 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links English, Science, Health and Physical Education
VCOP ACTIVITY
Animal alliterations
With a partner, choose one of the pictures from the article.
Make a list of nouns you could use to name the animal in the picture. For example, instead of a tiger, you could also say cat, or feline.
Pick your favourite noun and identify its initial sound – what sound it starts with, not necessarily what letter.
Now, using the initial sound, make a list of adjectives to describe the animal. Try to be specific. Don’t just look at the animal as a whole, look at their different features as well.
Build on these same sound words, and add any verbs and adverbs you could use to describe the animal and their movements.
Try to put it all together and use as many same sound words in a sentence, to create an alliteration about the animal in the picture. For example: the terrifying tiger, tiptoed through tangled trees chasing his prey.