Teen calls for greater shark protection after saving mate from great white attack

A teenager from Western Australia has called for greater shark protection just days after rescuing his friend from a terrifying great white.

Luke Pascoe was spearfishing off Mistaken Island in 10-metre-deep on Monday when a Great White shark approached on Monday.

Conner Shirley pulled the 17-year-old from the water and carried him on his back across slippery rocks for two kilometres.

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Despite the attack, the hospitality worker is calling for more to be done about shark conservation.

"The amount of people that get killed per year compared to the amount of sharks that we kill, it's an immense difference," Shirley said.

Pascoe has undergone three surgeries this week following the attack.

Shirley told Today on Wednesday his friend "is going pretty good" since the incident.

"I have been talking to him a little bit and he is having fun," he said.

"I went into town and bought him some Lego. He's just relaxing, making that."

After the ordeal, the pair maintained their shared sense of humour.

"The rocks were a bit of a journey, but it was fun in a sense," Shirley said.

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"We were laughing about it the entire time.

"We were pumped through that much adrenaline."

The two have since found a silver lining as Pascoe recovers in hospital.

"We were just talking about how sick the scars are going to look and how many chicks the scar is going to bring in," he said.

Today co-host Karl Stefanovic responded "that is Australia right there".