Surfer Fends Off Reef Shark

By: Clayton Truscott
Published: 12 October 2010
Tags: bizarre, sport

Frank Solomon, a big wave surfing maniac from Cape Town (South Africa), recently had a very close encounter with an irritated reef shark.

Frank is currently crossing the Indian Ocean with fellow big wave specialist, James Taylor, on a yacht delivery. While taking some time to clean the vessel's hull, he decided to film some of the local sharks nearby. As he is armed with just a pair of flippers, a snorkel and a camera, the whole situation seems a bit 'Look Ma, No Hands!' for comfort.

Then, while going for an extreme close up shot, Frank gets the response everyone is dreading.

Two things really stand out in this video:

1. Look how beautiful and blue the water is. Makes you wonder why we are all sitting in an office and not delivering yachts?

2. How calm does Frank stay while the irate shark tries to rough him up? Using just his diving fins, he manages to fend it off.

It must have something to do with big wave surfers having a connection to the ocean. If a normal person traded places with Frank at that moment, this post could very well have been titled: Man Runs Sprints Across Water!

Clayton Truscott

Clayton is a comfortable traveller, having grown up in a small city that was far away from everything. He spent lots of time in the car as a child, driving up and down the coast of South Africa on surfing trips with his family. After studying abroad in the United States and spending a year working in London, he moved to Cape Town, where he completed a Master's Degree in Creative Writing. He now works as a freelance writer for various travel, surfing and action sports publications.