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Shan started surfing, fishing and spearfishing at the young age 6. At age 17, he began his work in the ocean as an Abalone diver/deck hand and continues to commercially dive for shells to this day. As well as diving, free diving and surfing which he loves and continues to this day.
Shan loved his work as an Abalone diver, but it sadly came to an end in 2013 after a cascade of events that “spooked him” - all of these events were to do with sharks in Western Australia, and left him suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and anxiety related to the ocean, so much so that he struggled to get back in to the water for a year, resulting in a career change.
Whilst abalone diving 180km east of Esperance in October 2013, a fellow abalone diver - Greg Pickering (Shark Eyes Ambassador) was attacked by a White Shark and left critically injured. Shanan along with two other colleagues administered life saving first aid to him, 4 hours from town in a remote location, and rushed him to hospital; luckily he survived and still dives to this day.
That same year Shanan lost a loved one in a fatal attack in Gracetown, and also personally encountered a few unwanted, and unpleasant interactions with large sharks whilst spearfishing and surfing. Luckily he saw the shark and was able to defend himself.
As well as the events of the year 2013, Shanan has other mates who have lost limbs in Shark attacks over the years. Shanan agrees for many Shark attack is not a high possibility to lose sleep over but for Shanan and many other frequent water users, the threat of Shark attack is a very real thing.