Shark bites womans surf ski at Cheynes Beach in Western Australia

A popular beach was shut down after a large shark took a bite out of a woman’s surf ski.

The woman was about 100m out from the shore of Cheynes Beach – around 50km east of Albany in Western Australia – when the estimated 5-6m shark bit her surf ski and knocked her into the water just before 8am on Thursday

Despite the terrifying incident, the woman miraculously escaped without injury.

She was kayaking with another person when the shark attacked.

Cheynes Beach Caravan Park manager Alan Marsh said the pair were surprisingly calm when he spoke to them less than an hour after the incident at the popular holiday beach.

“They seemed fine … they said it won’t stop them visiting the beach; they love going in the water,” Mr Marsh told the ABC.

“They said the shark was as big as their ski which was about 5m.”

Officials are now DNA testing the woman’s ski to try to identify what type of shark was involved.

Mr Marsh told the publication you could see the teeth marks where the shark bit the surf ski.

A shark alert was put in place, with the area closed for 24 hours.

According to the Daily Mail, officers confirmed a 5-6m shark was involved in the attack.

“This has been confirmed by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development,” Fisheries said in a statement.

“The incident occurred approximately 100m offshore, in waters near the Cheynes Beach Caravan Park.”

The attack comes just weeks after teenager Stella Berry was killed by a shark in the Swan River in North Fremantle, where she was jet skiing with friends.

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The 16-year-old had seen a pod of dolphins and jumped in the water at about 3.30pm on Saturday, February 4, when moments later, bystanders heard a scream as a shark latched on to her leg.

She was pulled from the river where she suffered significant injuries to her leg, according to reports.

She died on the scene, despite the frantic efforts of witnesses and paramedics.

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