Australian woman fights off Great White Shark

SYDNEY, Oct 15 (Reuters) - An Australian woman fought off a Great White Shark on Monday after it knocked her into the water from her surf ski at a popular tourist beach, police said.

The woman fended off the 2.5-metre (eight-foot) shark, suffering lacerations to her right arm, before scrambling back onto her surf ski and paddling to shore at Byron Bay's famous surfing beach "The Pass" on Australia's east coast.

"A 52-year-old local woman was paddling her surf ski at The Pass at Byron Bay when she was knocked from her craft by a shark," said a police spokeswoman.

"The woman fended off the shark ... believed to be a white pointer. She suffered lacerations to her right arm. She managed to get back on her ski and paddle to shore."

Police said the woman was taken to hospital, boats were patrolling the area looking for the shark and people had been advised not to go into the water.

Sharks, even Great Whites, are protected in Australia.

An Australian abalone diver miraculously escaped a Great White Shark attack in January after the shark half-swallowed him head first. The diver's lead weight vest saved his life by stopping the shark's teeth from biting him in half and the shark then released the diver.

Australia had six shark attacks in 2006, according to the U.S.-based International Shark Attack File. There were 62 shark attacks worldwide in 2006.