Giant shark takes a bite out of woman's surf ski in Australia

Albany, Australia - A beach in Western Australia was temporarily closed after a woman was knocked off her surf ski by a large shark on Thursday morning.

A beach in Western Australia was temporarily closed after a woman was knocked off her surf ski by a large shark on Thursday morning.
A beach in Western Australia was temporarily closed after a woman was knocked off her surf ski by a large shark on Thursday morning.  © CARL DE SOUZA / AFP

A reported 16-foot shark bit a woman's surf ski while she was not far from the Cheynes Beach shore, knocking her in the water at about 8 AM local time, authorities said in a statement.

It wasn't initially clear what species of shark was involved, but investigators are testing the teeth marks left on the board for DNA.

Meanwhile, the woman and another person she was with in the water at the time were not seriously injured.

Mysterious one-eyed spherical creature shocks the internet – what is this?
Dogs Mysterious one-eyed spherical creature shocks the internet – what is this?

"They seemed fine... they said it won't stop them visiting the beach; they love going in the water," Cheynes Beach Caravan Park manager Alan Marsh told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Cheynes Beach in Albany, some 280 miles south-east of Perth, was closed for at least 24 hours to allow authorities to investigate the situation, the statement said.

There was a fatal shark attack in the area in 2014, according to ABC.

Cover photo: CARL DE SOUZA / AFP

More on Animals: