Was shark that attacked Mick Fanning caught on camera hours before incident?

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Footage shows a possible shark figure in the water hours before the attack
Kelly Slater's friend 'clearly' saw a shark in a wave during the quarterfinals
Australian surfing legend Mick Fanning fought off a 3m shark in the finals
He was competing against Julian Wilson in South Africa for the J-Bay Open

By Daniel Peters For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 05:52 EST, 20 July 2015 | Updated: 15:04 EST, 20 July 2015

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Chilling new footage has emerged which appears to show a large shark lurking in the water close to Mick Fanning, just hours before he was attacked.

The footage from an earlier heat at the competition in South Africa picks up a huge dark shadow, metres from where the Australian surfer narrowly escaped a great white attack.

It comes as 11-time champion surfer Kelly Slater revealed a close friend of his had 'clearly' seen a shark in the water not long before Fanning nearly lost his life.

Is this the shark that later attacked Mick Fanning at J-Bay?

Footage appears to show a huge dark shadow and large dorsal fin, hours before Fanning was attacked

Slater embraces Fanning, and said he received an email from a friend who spotted the shark hours earlier

The footage was picked up during live TV coverage of an earlier heat- ironically involving Mick Fanning- hours before the 34-year-old punched a shark that bit through the leg rope of his surf board.

Slater's close friend said he 'clearly saw a shark figure in a wave during the quarter-finals from a drone shot', prompting the World Surf League organisers to reconsider the precautions in place to ensure surfers are safe whilst competing.

Photographer 'Jimmicane' was sitting in the water during Fanning's earlier heat and recalls having ominous feelings about the surfing session.

In an Instagram photo of Fanning, he captions: 'Easy for me to say now but I was definitely feeling spooked out there. Specifically during this heat, sitting down towards the keyhole all alone.'

Shocking moment surfer fights off shark on live TV

The 3 metre shark approached Fanning from behind, knocking him off his board and gnawing through his leg rope

Fanning fought back against the shark, punching it in the back and escaping the terrifying attack without injury

Fanning hugs fellow Australian Julian Wilson, who was also in the water at the time and who started paddling towards Fanning to make sure he was not injured following the shocking attack

Mick Fanning's mother has described her absolute horror as she watched the events unfold from her Tweed Heads home.

Elizabeth Osborne told Channel 9 'I just felt like pulling him out, it really was in slow motion and I thought they'd never get there...I thought he was gone'.

Close friend Kelly Slater also expressed his heartfelt relief in the outcome and took to Instagram, saying, 'glad to know this guy and even happier that he swam/walked away unscathed.

'The only mark on him is a tiny scratch (probably from hitting the shark) on his left hand knuckle.'

'(Fanning's) instincts kicked into high gear and his scramble to face the shark and keep the board between them may have saved him.

'The scariest moment was when he turned around to face where the shark would be coming from after swimming 20 meters towards shore. I can't even imagine the vulnerability he must've felt. Great job by the contest announcers (and) water safety for getting right on it.'

Surfer Mick Fanning speaks immediately after shark attack

'I just felt like pulling him out, it really was in slow motion and I thought they'd never get there...I thought he was gone' - Mick's mother Elizabeth describes the terrifying moment she thought she'd lost her son

Fanning points skyward as he recalls the moment he was attacked to media, with U.S. surfer Kelly Slater by his side

Footage released by the World Surf League (WSL) shows the shark’s fin emerge from the water before following Fanning as he paddled out of the shallows.

The three-time world champion, who was competing against fellow Australian Julian Wilson in the final, can be seen being knocked off his board before he attempts to use it as a shield to stop the shark biting him.

The clip ends with him being hauled into a rescue boat by officials and brought back to the shore.

The distressing situation could be easily seen from the coast, with footage showing the shark thrashing around

The three-time world champion was able to get away from the beast by punching it in the back

Fanning was knocked off his board and battled the beast desperately until he could be hauled into a rescue boat by officials

Speaking after the incident, Fanning - who was miraculously uninjured and only lost a leg rope in the incident - said: 'It came up and got stuck in my leg rope.

'I instantly just jumped away. It kept coming at my board and I was kicking and screaming.

'I just saw fins. I punched it in the back.'

Commentator Ross Williams said the incident was one of the craziest things he had seen in a competition.

'No one has ever seen anyone attacked in a heat... it was such a scary thing to see him come off his board,' he said.

During one particularly scary moment in the footage, Fanning (pictured far right) can be seen swimming away from his surfboard as he attempts to get away

Rescuers used jet skis to get into the water and made sure both Fanning and Australian Julian Wilson, who he was competing against, were safe

The brave surfer looked exhausted as he caught his breath on a float on the back of a jet ski

Julian Wilson in tears as he recounts Mick Fanning shark attack

Fanning's rival in the finals, fellow Australian Julian Wilson, was in the water at the time of the attack and broke down in tears as he described watching the incident unfold.

'It came up and he was wrestling it, I saw the whole thing, then I saw he got knocked off his board and then like a little wave popped up and I just thought, he’s gone, he’s gone under,' Wilson said.

'And I felt like I couldnt get there quick enough.'

U.S. surfing champion Kelly Slater shared an emotional embrace with Fanning after the attack, and said he was shocked that the Australian escaped unharmed.

'I'm halfway between crying and laughing because he got so lucky. I'm lost for words to be honest,' Slater said.

'We almost just watched our friend get eaten by a shark and I'm just blown away that there's no damage at all.'

The surfer was competing against Wilson (pictured above in red) in the final, and was visibly shaken after he returned to dry land

Australian pro-surfer Mick Fanning was attacked by a shark measuring four to five metres in length

Wilson (in red) broke down in tears as he described the attack, saying he thought Fanning was 'gone'

WSL deputy commissioner Renato Hickel confirmed the competition had been called off after two further sharks were spotted in the area.

The organisation initially announced the shock attack on Facebook, writing: 'Sharks are in the lineup. Thankfully, Mick Fanning is unharmed.

'The ‪#‎JBayOpen‬ has been cancelled.'

WSL chief executive Paul Speaker later added: 'We are incredibly grateful that no one was seriously injured today.'

'Mick's composure and quick acting in the face of a terrifying situation was nothing short of heroic and the rapid response of our Water Safety personnel was commendable - they are truly world class at what they do.'

'The safety of our athletes is a priority for the WSL and, after discussions with both Finalists, we have decided to cancel the remainder of competition at the #JBayOpen.'

'We appreciate the ongoing support we have in South Africa and once again want to express our gratitude to the Water Safety Team.'

The waters are some of the most shark-infested in the world, according to Reuters.

The last reported incident of a surfer being killed by a Great White shark close to Jeffreys Bay was in 2013.