Chilling moment fisherman comes face to face with huge great white shark: ‘I’m dealing with a beast’

By MAX ALDRED FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 12:22 BST, 22 June 2025 | Updated: 12:44 BST, 22 June 2025

A veteran spearfisher has described the moment he had a close encounter with a five metre great white shark while swimming off the NSW coast.

Emanuel Bova was spearfishing in the water off Royal National Park, just south of Sydney, on Friday afternoon when the predator emerged from the depths heading directly at him.

‘He came past me, I realised and just went ”whoa,” it just blew me away. That’s when my heart started racing and I realised I’m dealing with a beast,’ he told Nine News.    

While Mr Bova is an experienced spearfisher who has seen many sharks close up, he said this encounter was a first. 

‘I’m swimming back to the jet ski and there’s just this huge (great) white,’ he said.

‘I’m talking like four or five metres. Big, like wide, bigger than my jet ski.

‘(It was) scary.’

Mr Bova was alone in the water and his jet ski was floating about 15metres away at the time.

A spearfisher encountere a large great white shark near the Royal National Park (above)

Footage from the encounter showed the fisherman backing away through the water onto his jet ski as the shark following close behind. 

Once out of the water, Mr Bova pulled in his fish float and kept a close watch on the great white, who he said circled the vessel which gave him the impression it looked like it ‘missed out on his opportunity’. 

‘Maybe that’s what he was thinking because he became a little agitated once I jumped on the ski.’

‘He went from being motionless and steady to doing very fast, several laps around the ski.’

It is believed the same great white was seen at Cronulla in Sydney’s southeast about an hour earlier.

Mr Bova said he and fellow spearfishers have noticed an increase in shark activity in the waters around Sydney. 

He said he has had four encounters with the beasts in the past three years. 

Emanuel Bova (pictured) said the shark repeatedly circled his jet ski after he climbed aboard

But he said Friday’s incident seemed like an uncomfortably close call.

Mr Bova previously told The Daily Telegraph he had been watching shark population changes closely after several incidents in 2022. 

‘You have to be wary these days whilst in the water, not just when spearfishing,’ he said.

‘One day it could be a swimmer, surfer, scuba diver, kayaker or a kid at the beach with their family, these sharks are capable of attacking in very shallow water,’ he said.

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Chilling moment fisherman comes face to face with huge great white shark: ‘I’m dealing with a beast’

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