Swimming with whales. Seal’s decoy. UK rip currents suck. Half Moon Bay celebrates

Whale sighting in Coolangatta: One wee surfer Girl, three giant new friends

Three whales—two big ones and one wee one—made a detour to hang out with a surfer girl in Coolangatta, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia (hey, we don’t know what they taught you at school geography-wise).

Britt Matthews @iambritmatthews posted her stunning drone footage on Instagram and Threads, hoping to identify the paddle surfer who was circled by the whales and swam among them.

“I honestly couldn’t believe what I was seeing — pure magic,” Britt said. “Moments like this remind me how magical the ocean and its creatures truly are.”

It didn’t take long. Insta did what Insta does, and the paddle surfer was found: Laurel @laurelyogapilates.

When Britt asked how it felt, Laurel replied:

“Oh my goodness, it was just incredible!!! So beautiful and I cannot believe that you captured this fleeting moment.”

This is hands-down the best piece of news this week. No contest.

Shark bites surfer after seal allegedly uses him as decoy

A South Australian surfer got more than he bargained for at a break called The Sewer (yes, that’s the real name). While surfing off Kangaroo Island last Tuesday, a man in his 50s was bitten twice by a bronze whaler shark. But here’s where it gets wild–according to Shark Watch SA, the shark had actually been chasing a seal, which then pulled the ultimate evasive maneuver and used the surfer as a decoy.

The surfer managed to paddle back to shore and drive himself to the hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery for serious leg injuries. Luckily, the injuries are non-life-threatening, and the man is expected to recover.

Bronze whalers aren’t as famous as great whites, but they’re no slouches when it comes to bites–they’ve been involved in 15 recorded attacks since 1962. South Australia has seen a worrying spike in shark incidents recently, including four fatalities in the last two years.

The takeaway?

Sharks don’t usually want to bite humans — it’s often mistaken identity. But now we may have to consider a new theory: sneaky seals setting us up.

Experienced surfer saved by RNLI after rip current drags him half a mile out

Even if you’ve been surfing for 15 years, the ocean doesn’t care. That’s what Ben Fraser learned after a strong rip current pulled him more than half a mile from shore near Porthcawl in South Wales, UK (hey, we don’t know what they taught you in geography class)

Despite being an experienced surfer, Ben wasn’t familiar with the specific rip at that break. Before long, gale-force winds and choppy seas left him stranded far outside the bay. He tried to climb onto rocks near Hutchwns Point but quickly realized it was too risky. So he did the smart thing: raised his hand and signaled for help.

A dogwalker noticed him waving and called 999 . Minutes later, the local RNLI (that’s The Royal National Lifeboat Institution) lifeboat crew launched and hauled him to safety just before dark.

Although I felt pretty calm,” said Ben, “I knew I couldn’t get back to the beach myself and that the light was fading fast.”

The RNLI said they rescue without judgment — and this was a reminder that anyone can get caught out.

Rip current 101 – What to do if you’re caught

The RNLI advises:

• Don’t swim against the rip – you’ll exhaust yourself
  
• If you can stand, wade instead of swimming
  
• Swim parallel to the shore to escape the current
  
• Signal for help – raise your hand and shout
  

So, next time you’re out there and things get weird, remember: raise your hand, ditch the pride, and let the lifeboat do its thing.

Half Moon Bay surfer gets invite to the Eddie Aikau Invitational

19-year-old Zoe Chait just got the invitation of a lifetime: she’s been selected as an alternate for the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational on Oʻahu’s famed North Shore.

Who is Zoe Chait?!

It’s November 2022 and Mavericks is pumping. Its next-door neighbor, 16-year-old Zoe Chait, rides her very first wave at Mavs.

In her interview with Surfline, she said:

“Since moving to Half Moon Bay five years ago, I’ve always thought of Maverick’s as this incredible wave right in my backyard. When it’s breaking, I can see the wave from my bedroom window. But I never thought I would surf it. It was too scary.

Last year most of my friends surfed Mavs for the first time, which made me want to train hard and give it a shot this winter.

Many of the local heroes that I look up to have been encouraging me, telling me I could do it — guys like Luca Padua, John and Pete Mel, Johnny Souza, Peter and Thomas Lundgard, Jason Stark, and Shaun Burns. They’ve been so supportive.

And, of course, having a legend like Bianca Valenti on my side, I knew I was as safe as anybody could be out there. I went out with her and she showed me the lineups and where to sit. Then while we were on the ski looking at the waves from the channel, she gave me some of the best advice:

‘You are safe and you’ve done the work. Even if you do fall, you are strong and will be fine.’”

Two years later, 18-year-old Zoe was in the right place at the right time and helped pull a surfer out of rough surf in Pacifica.

When the news about Zoe and the Eddie went live, her uncle Neff from @homegrownsurfboards was beyond himself:

“(…) this is a huge moment for everybody in our local area and beyond… she has a heart of gold and wouldn’t hurt to fly, even though she’s going to jiu-jitsu right now to flex… she said she’s gonna go release a little pent up energy and I said I felt bad for the person that she gets!!!… I’m excited for this winter for so many reasons and you think that I would be happy with just the stuff that has happened recently…. But this is extra special in another way…. I have a women’s team…. She’s my spiritual captain… and all she does is her… but that’s more than enough… every girl on my team wants to be like her… a hero… I’m sure the person who she saved in Pacifica are thankful that she was there that day and I’m sure their family is too… but she’s not done…(…)

And that’s all I know about Zoe. But somehow, I’m sure we’re going to see her name everywhere pretty soon.