Mick Fanning's return to the World Surf League has coincided with a shark sighting which temporarily halted competition at Sydney's Narrabeen Beach on Sunday. Fanning, who famously survived a shark attack in competition in South Africa in 2015 by punching and kicking out at the great white, was safely back on the beach after advancing from his elimination heat when a shark was spotted. Surfers competing in the second heat were pulled from the water and competition was delayed for 15 minutes until the shark made its way further down the coast. Fanning collected three world titles, in 2007, 2009 and 2013, before surviving the shark attack while competing at Jeffreys Bay, which left him suffering from recurring nightmares.