Chilling drone video shows great white shark circling a kayaker in California
Nerve-wracking drone footage shows a person enjoying the California sun while kayaking in Monterey Bay with an uninvited guest.
A great white shark was spotted investigating the area, circling the kayak but never actually swimming underneath it, according to Giancarlo Thomae, a marine biologist who filmed the video Saturday as part of his studies into great white sightings in Santa Cruz, Storyful reported.
The event reportedly took place on the same day just five miles from where a 26-year-old man was killed by a shark while surfing at Manresa State Beach toward the northern end of Monterey Bay, McClatchy News reported.
The shark filmed in the video didn’t appear to interact with the floating canoe-like boat, but past kayakers haven’t been so lucky.
In 2017, experts recorded nine shark attacks, according to The Mercury News, and four of them were kayakers.
“More people are in the water today than there were 10 years ago, more people are kayaking, swimming, surfing and diving,” Ralph Collier, founder of the Shark Research Committee, told the outlet. “As those ocean user groups go up… you’re going to get more reports and you’re going to have more incidents of physical contact with sharks. That’s just a matter of numbers.”
Shark populations are growing on the Pacific coast due to protections from poaching — illegal hunting — made decades ago, according to Collier.
What to do if a shark attacks
But what should you do if you find yourself in a similar situation while enjoying the great outdoors? Experts say there are a few tips to keep in mind.
First things first, don’t panic, said George Burgess, former director of the Florida Program for Shark Research and curator of the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, according to TopKayaker.net.
Sharks are most likely not attracted to you, but rather what you’re doing and by something you have, like a bucket of bait. Whatever it is they may want, let the shark have it, Burgess suggested.
The shark likely feels threatened by your presence and wants you out of its feeding area, Collier told The Mercury News.
If a shark is spotted near your kayak, calmly paddle with “smooth gliding strokes, not frantic splashing” toward the shore, the site said of Burgess’s tips.
If you’re with a group, paddle toward them because sharks are less likely to attack larger crowds. Getting close to a cliff, if there is one nearby, could also reduce the amount of directions the shark can approach you by, Burgess noted.
If the shark does get aggressive, hit it on the snout, gill or eye area with your paddle because “showing ability to do battle is safer than an actual battle for all concerned,” the site said. And if you lose your paddle, hit the shark’s snout with your hand, Burgess advised.
If luck fails you and the shark bumps you out of your kayak, hold onto your paddle tightly, and try to get back onto your boat or swim to shore as calmly as possible.
Experts also suggest avoiding waters at dusk or dawn when sharks are more active and visibility is low, paying attention to lifeguards warning flags and checking shark activity before getting into the water, according to Smartertravel.com.
This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Chilling drone video shows great white shark circling a kayaker in California."
