On Finals Days of competition at the World Surf League’s Corona Cero Open J-Bay, there was a guest appearance – not an F1 driver, nor a soccer player, not even a great white shark…just a few of the crossover cameos at CT stops, the latter in particular at J-Bay
Jeffreys Bay, South Africa is a wild and rugged stretch of coast, one rife with marine life. It’s a notoriously sharky zone, and it’s the site where, in 2015, Mick Fanning fought off a great white shark, live on TV during his final against Julian Wilson. It was a moment that will go down in history, while also continuing to send shivers down spines forevermore.
But this time, for the 2025 edition of the contest, a different creature showed up – amidst heats on Finals Day, a seal was spotted in the lineup absolutely ripping to shreds an octopus. See below.
With a cheeky comment, the WSL posted: “Old mate’s found himself some octopus for breakfast and the perfect view right in the middle of the lineup to watch the @corona #OpenJBay. Not a bad morning if you ask us.”
Although great whites are the typical threat at J-Bay, hence the Mick Fanning situation mentioned above, seals have had a history of getting a little feisty in the lineup.
Related: How Mick Fanning Turned a Shark Attack Into Multi-Million Dollar Business Deals
Two years ago, an aggressive seal attacked surfers the Point, resulting in a gnarly gash that needed stitches. And it was all captured on a surf cam.
Then, last year in Cape Town, another (this time rabid) seal attacked a handful of surfers.
“He came up, just sort of biting my board,” said one surfer. “I paddled away. I thought it was just a one-off mistake or something. But he came back, and came back. Even when I was in the surf, he came looking for me. I saw another attack, and I paddled over. Clearly, he was trying repetitively to bite people and get ahold of them. I think the seal was a bit confused. We need to find out what’s going on.”