The southern coast around Bukit Peninsula in Bali is an excellent spot for surfing, especially Uluwatu. Best known for its dramatic clifftop views, surf breaks, and mesmerizing white sand beaches, the sea at Uluwatu comprises reef breaks and large curls. However, besides the natural Bali aesthetic, a number of different sharks are also found there, mostly tiger sharks.
Two days ago, a surfer from Bali visited the site for a surfing session, but it was not the best day for him. The place, well known for being one of the most favored surfing spots for pro surfers, left the surfer petrified after his encounter with a tiger shark.
Surfer being chased out by a tiger shark, opens up
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Varun Tandjung was enjoying his surfing before a tiger shark attacked a sea cow well-nigh the surfer’s feet. Later Tandjung opened up about the strange encounter and stated, “Yeah it was definitely a crazy moment! I was paddling out at my home break on the south side of The Bukit, and I saw a big tiger shark attacking a dugong in the channel. It was super aggressive, and there was a lot of splashing, which kept creeping closer and closer to the inside. It was my first encounter with a shark in Bali, and I had never seen anything like that before. Sharks never cross my mind when I surf in Bali, but this has definitely changed my perspective,” he told Stab.
Varun Tandjung posted the video of the shark encounter on his Instagram, saying, “chased out by a shark, still went out for 1 after” Surfing legend Kelly Slater commented on the post advising the surfer, “Don’t fall.” No fatalities or casualties were reported from the incident, but surfers are still aware of the danger now.
Tandjung, the son of saga surfer and one of the first Indonesian to compete in WQS, Rizal Tandjung, enjoys surfing at Uluwatu Beach. And another reason for him to enjoy surfing in Uluwatu is because of its rare shark attacks. However, while Bali is not notorious for shark-based casualties, fare to say it was a learning curve for Tandjung.
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Are there any man-eating sharks on Uluwatu Beach?
There are several kinds of sharks found in different seas of Bali, such as Grey Reef Shark, Whitetip reef shark, Indonesian angel shark, and tiger shark, which are mostly found on Uluwatu beach. But all of these are harmless and do not hurt any surfer until they are being bothered. Sometimes, they may chase some fish near the area where the surfer is, but reported casualties are relatively rare.
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