A DIVER who was attacked by a huge shark has revealed how he blew oxygen bubbles in the beast’s face to drive it off.
Bailey Haffner was in diving gear as he cleaned a boat near the Royal Perth Yacht Club in Western Australia at around 10am when the drama unfolded.
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The 20-year-old suddenly felt a big bump and was knocked away from the boat into open water.
At first he didn’t know what happened but then turned around and saw a shark.
“This shark has come up basically on top of me on my right-hand side and he’s pushed down and sort of done a turn to kick me off the hull of the boat,” he told 7NEWS.
“It was more shock, I didn’t really work out what had happened.
“It was quite a forceful thump and you could feel how thick it was, it was a lot of meat in it.”
Bailey estimated the bull shark was about 12ft in length with a two foot thick neck.
But as he feared the worst, quick thinking Bailey pulled off his mask tried to scare the shark away with air bubbles.
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“You wear a regulator scuba diving, so I’ve taken that out of my mouth and held it free flow because sharks hate bubbles, apparently,” he said adding: “That must’ve worked for me.”
He said adrenaline got him out of the water and he managed to get up onto the jetty.
“There wasn’t too much thinking except get out,” he said.
Baily said he has been diving since the age of 10 but has never experienced such a close encounter with a shark before but insisted he will be back to clean his mate’s boat.
“I’ll be back tomorrow or Saturday,” he told Perth Now.
“This time I’m going to bring along my trusty shark shield. I’ll probably dangle a spare one off the boat too just to settle my nerves a little.”
Earlier this year a Brit diving instructor was mauled to death by a 15ft great white shark just days before safety lines were due to be installed.
Australian authorities said one was set to be placed in the area where Simon Nellist was attacked in just two weeks time.
Simon, 35, was killed by the predator just 150m away from the beach at Buchan Point, near Little Bay in Sydney, in the first fatal attack in nearly 60 years.
The 6ft 5in British expat’s remains were found in the water following the horror ordeal.
