Massive great white shark ‘chases’ South Australian police on water patrol

Well this is a police chase of a different kind.

South Australian officers were patrolling the waters out at Tapley Shoal, near Edithburgh, when they realised they were being tailed.

A huge great white shark was hanging around like a bad smell, filmed following the inflatable police vessel.

The officers dubbed him Noah.

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Video posted to the South Australian Police News Facebook page last week shows the sheer size of the big fella, who was estimated to be 4.5m long.

“Police were concentrating on recreational boats and checking registration, licences and safety equipment along with alcohol and drug testing operators when they were paid a visit by one of the locals,” the post read.

“Noah wasn’t keen on being breath tested and our Water Operations Unit officers were happy to oblige.”

Check out this photo, posted to the SA Police News Twitter account:

You can see why they tried to keep their distance. 

Mark Oaks, who was drift fishing nearby, told ABC Radio Adelaide Breakfast how the shark cam between his boat and police.

The officers were heading to Oaks’ boat to conduct a routine breathalyser test, but Noah put them off for a bit.

“I told the boys to back off a bit because the shark was right next to us,” Oaks said.

“For probably the next 10 or 15 minutes we just sat around.”

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Oaks told the Oaks told the that he wasn’t breathalysed, in the end.

Unfortunately, the fisherman’s new predatory mate didn’t help with the catch.

“There was very little fish caught that day, I can tell you,” he said.