NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport

Mick Fanning 'happy to be home' and keen to return to the water after shark encounter

John Weekes
By John Weekes
Senior Business Reporter·NZ Herald·
21 Jul, 2015 05:32 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Surfer Mick Fanning says he is happy to be home after his terrifying shark encounter - and he's keen to return to the water. Photo / Getty Images

Surfer Mick Fanning says he is happy to be home after his terrifying shark encounter - and he's keen to return to the water. Photo / Getty Images

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Surfer Mick Fanning says he was running on instinct when fighting off a huge shark, and wouldn't give up even though he feared he could be killed.

Fanning, back in Australia today, said he was happy to be home after the terrifying great white encounter, and would never turn his back on surfing.

The three-time world champion arrived in Sydney after surfing in the final of the World Surf League J-Bay Open competition in South Africa on Sunday.The great white shark struck him as he waited for a wave during the competition.

The 34-year-old today old media he was "stoked" and "happy to be home".He earlier said he'd never surf on July 19 again, but on other days it would be business as usual.

Fanning's close friend Julian Wilson, 26, was also in the water when the attack happened.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Both men have been praised for their courage and composure during the incident.

The men arrived to applause and a standing ovation at a press conference.

A close bond between the young surfer and his hero was soon on display, and both men also thanked the wider surfing community for their support.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Fanning said he imagined a few weeks or months would have to pass before emotional scars from the traumatic incident were healed.

Moments before the incident, he was ready and calm. The last thing on his mind was a shark.

"It went for the tail of my board, I don't know why ... it just kept coming back."

Fanning said he went into a "fight or flight" mode and started punching the shark.

Discover more

Sport

'The rule of thumb is just to fight back'

20 Jul 12:00 AM
Sport

Live TV's shocking sporting moments

20 Jul 02:11 AM
New Zealand

Memories of NZ shark attack still raw

20 Jul 02:47 AM
New Zealand

Shark attack brings back memories for Kiwi victim

21 Jul 06:46 PM

He also tried to position himself away from the creature, uttering a few expletives as the animal's onslaught continued.

"At that stage I was just screaming."

He said Wilson showed great "integrity" by paddling out to help him.

"You never know what you're going to do in that situation."

Fanning stayed in fight mode, running on "instinct" a few more seconds before Wilson and surf contest organisers arrived."I had my fist cocked and ready," Fanning said.

"Luckily it didn't come."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Wilson told media he was "frozen" at first.

"Mick was looking at me. A big ol' fish popped up ... it was a lot bigger than him and I froze, I honestly froze," Wilson said.

"I was kind of freaking out ... trying to weigh up the situation."Wilson said it was terrifying when a wave obscured Fanning from his view, and he "prayed" his mate would be all right after the shark "manhandled" him.

"I was just fearing that I wasn't going to be there in time," he said.

Wilson said it was a "miracle" his friend and mentor escaped unscathed.

"He's an amazing human being and a great friend and a great role model."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Fanning said he'd heard stories from divers and surfers that punching a shark in the nose was a possible defence strategy against sharks.

"I just thought, 'Let's see what's going to happen'.

"He said it was still "an unfair fight" but he didn't want to be totally defenceless.

The surf champ said there was much research still to be done on shark behaviour.

"It's a wild animal. It's got emotions like everyone else on this planet."

Fanning said his board was 19 inches (48cm) wide and seemed "tiny" compared with the shark.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He hoped to return to the Eastern Cape surf hotspot, where he had friends and family.

"J-Bay's such a beautiful place and I'm just sad that it happened there," he said.

"I've got to go back ... you've got to face these things front-on."

He also reiterated he wanted to keep surfing.

"To turn my back on surfing ... wouldn't feel right."

He said "bottling up" one's emotions after the near-death experience would not be wise.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said he was happy to talk and "get it all out" in the open.

"You've just got to go on with life. All that other stuff is secondary."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Racing

Special meeting crucial to saving harness racing in Auckland

09 Jul 06:17 AM
Warriors

'Confident in his ability': Webster backs Boyd to fill Metcalf void

09 Jul 06:00 AM
Premium
Opinion

Gregor Paul: Why the All Blacks must double down on Vaa’i and Proctor's roles

09 Jul 03:01 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Special meeting crucial to saving harness racing in Auckland

Special meeting crucial to saving harness racing in Auckland

09 Jul 06:17 AM

One of the most disastrous chapters in NZ racing history could be coming to a close.

'Confident in his ability': Webster backs Boyd to fill Metcalf void

'Confident in his ability': Webster backs Boyd to fill Metcalf void

09 Jul 06:00 AM
Premium
Gregor Paul: Why the All Blacks must double down on Vaa’i and Proctor's roles

Gregor Paul: Why the All Blacks must double down on Vaa’i and Proctor's roles

09 Jul 03:01 AM
'Like a reunion': What's changed upon Ryan Fox's return to Europe

'Like a reunion': What's changed upon Ryan Fox's return to Europe

09 Jul 02:02 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP