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Wharton Beach Shark Footage Was Filmed Nearly a Year Before Steven Payne’s Fatal Attack

The Wharton Beach shark footage was filmed in March 2024, nearly a year before Steven Payne’s fatal attack. No evidence identifies the two sharks as the same animal.

By Animalso Team 3 min read

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Yes. The shark footage was reportedly filmed at Wharton Beach on 17 March 2024—nearly a year before surfer Steven Jeffrey Payne was fatally attacked there on 10 March 2025. The video report described a large shark but did not establish its species, size or identity. There is no evidence connecting that animal to the shark involved in Payne’s death.

When was the Wharton Beach shark video filmed?

PerthNow reported on 21 March 2025 that the footage had been filmed on 17 March 2024. Its account describes a large shark swimming in shallow blue water as beachgoers watched from shore. The report says the shark’s shadow moved along the waterline and that a woman ran toward it to get a closer look. PerthNow transcribed a nearby spoken phrase as “Did you get it?”

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The report does not identify or measure the shark. Its description as “large” is not a species identification or a reliable size estimate. Read PerthNow’s footage report.

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What happened to Steven Payne at Wharton Beach?

Steven Jeffrey Payne, 37, was fatally attacked while surfing at Wharton Beach on 10 March 2025. ABC’s coverage of the coroner’s findings says Payne was sitting on his board approximately 60 metres from shore and that two other surfers witnessed the attack. His remains were not recovered after the search.

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DNA analysis identified the shark involved in the fatal attack as a great white, also called a white shark. An expert estimated that shark at approximately 3.2–3.5 metres. Those findings concern the 2025 attack only; they do not establish the species, size or identity of the shark filmed in 2024. Read ABC’s report on the coroner’s findings.

Was the same shark involved in both events?

That has not been established. The footage predates the fatal attack by nearly a year, and the footage report provides no identifying details that would allow the shark to be matched to the animal identified in the 2025 attack. The fact that both events occurred at Wharton Beach is not evidence that the same individual shark was involved.

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Could a deterrent device have prevented the fatal attack?

Payne owned a Shark Banz deterrent device but was not wearing it during the attack. Acting State Coroner Sarah Linton, in findings quoted by ABC, said: “In the circumstances of this attack, where it appears the shark attacked at high speed from some distance (a natural predatory behaviour for great white sharks), I understand it is very unlikely any device would be effective to prevent the attack.” She added that even if Payne had worn his device or a similar one, “it is unlikely to have made any difference to the outcome.”

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The coroner’s assessment is specific to the circumstances of this attack. It does not establish that every deterrent is ineffective in every situation, and the device’s mention should not be taken as a recommendation or a claim that wearing one would have changed the outcome.

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What did authorities say about the beach after the attack?

SharkSmart records that Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) received a report at approximately 12:17 pm on 10 March 2025. The initial notice said the surfer had not been sighted, a search was under way and the beach was closed. A 12 March update said Wharton Beach had reopened, while advising people to take extra care and check SharkSmart information. The Shire of Esperance separately said on 11 March that Wharton Beach and Little Wharton Beach were closed pending further notice while recovery efforts and police investigations continued.

These are historical notices from immediately after the incident, not a check of current beach conditions. For current alerts, consult SharkSmart’s alerts page.

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great white sharkshark attackSteven PayneWestern AustraliaWharton Beach

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