The dramatic run-in between Mick Fanning and a shark during the final of the World Surf League event at South Africa's Jeffreys Bay is shocking, but shouldn't be surprising.
J-Bay, as it's known, lies on the Eastern Cape shoreline of South Africa's south-east coast.
Since 1900, 153 of the 554 attacks in South Africa's waters have occurred along that stretch of water including 23 of 104 fatalities says sharkattackdata.com
Large sharks were thought not to visit the waters off Jeffreys Bay until 1989 when visiting surfer Edward Razzano was bitten on the torso by a 2.5-metre Great White.
The world tour has been coming to J-Bay since 1996 and organisers take extra precautions given the area's reputation.
Safety boats such as the one which picked up Fanning and fellow Australian surfer Julian Wilson are on hand while previous events have been put on hold when sharks have been spotted in the water.
Despite the protocols doubts will surely remain over whether surfers will happily return to the event next year.
"I'm happy to not even compete ever again," Fanning said in the aftermath of the attack.
"Seriously, to walk away from that, I'm just so stoked."
But it's not just South Africa that has had issues with sharks during world tour events.
In 2011 in San Francisco, American Dusty Payne essentially abandoned his heat against South Africa's Jordy Smith when he claimed to have seen "the biggest fin I've ever seen in my life" coming at him.
Australia's events too have had their moments.
In the past two years large three-metre plus sharks were caught near Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast during the Quiksilver Pro.
Australian wildcard Jay Davies said he'd spotted a shark during a heat at this year's Margaret River Pro in Western Australia with Brazil's Gabriel Medina.
Despite that, the most experienced surfer on the world tour, 11-time champion Kelly Slater, emphasised the shock of Fanning's incident.
"I was coming up the beach and I saw all the boats and skis go straight to the lineup," Slater said.
"I knew there was only one possible reason that would ever happen in a contest and that's if someone got attacked by a shark.
"I'm halfway between crying and laughing because he got so lucky. I'm lost for words to be honest."
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