Video: Kayak Angler Rammed, Chased by Hammerhead Shark
OutdoorHub Reporters 09.23.15
Shark sightings can often be troublesome for anglers. Spotting one of these fierce predators while fishing from a boat can make you worried about your catch, but seeing one from kayak may make you very well fear for your life. A kayak angler trolling for bonito off the coast of California’s Gaviota State Beach gave up all hope for a peaceful fishing trip after he ran into an aggressive—and confrontational—hammerhead on Saturday.
“It hit the back of my kayak twice and I turned around to see it,” Mark McCracken told NBC News. “I couldn’t tell if he was biting [the kayak] or if he was head-butting it but soon as I saw it I just started going at him with the paddle.”
In the video below, you can see the shark making passes by the kayak while McCracken attempted to dissuade the animal with a paddle. According to the angler, the hammerhead followed him all the way back to shore. It even stopped to watch him leave.
“He then stalked me all the way back to shore, occasionally approaching me again and receiving another paddle to the face. Even after I was on shore, he remained in about 4 feet of water pacing back and forth like he was just waiting for round #2,” McCracken wrote.
Pretty creepy stuff. Make sure to keep your eyes open out there.
