A woman has watched in horror as her partner was mauled by a shark in chest-deep water off a Western Australian beach.

The man in his 30s was surfing off the coast of Wharton Beach in Cape Le Grand, Condingup, 60 kilometres east of Esperance on Monday.

Witnesses said beachgoers began screaming as the massive shark attacked the man while dozens of other surfers were in the water.

“There were screams. There were people saying like ‘get out’, everything — it was a very panicked moment,” witness Joscelin Boissieux told the Nine Network.

“We heard a scream and everyone got out of the water.”

Afterwards, witnesses could see the surfboard floating on its own about 30 metres from shore, but the man was missing.

“The water next to it was dark, with a shark’s fin circling around,” said Boissieux.

Boissieux told Nine the man’s partner, who was on the beach when he was attacked, was “shocked”.

Police, Marine Rescue WA and SES began a search after they were called to the scene at 12.10pm (3.10pm AEDT).

A surfboard with bite marks was recovered.

“It is believed the surfer was the victim of a serious shark bite incident,” police said.

Wharton Beach is closed after the suspected shark attack. Photo: Nine News

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said it was assisting police.

“DPIRD received a report of a shark bite incident at approximately 12.17pm on March 10, 2025, involving a surfer at Wharton Beach,” said on Monday.

“A surfboard has been recovered, but the surfer has not been sighted.

“WA Police are currently coordinating a search for the missing surfer.

“Shire of Esperance rangers have closed Wharton Beach.”

There have been previous shark attacks in the same area.

In 2020, diver Gary Johnson was killed near Cull Island and surfer Andrew Sharpe was fatally mauled at Kelp Beds.

Three years earlier, teenager Laeticia Brouwer was killed surfing.