On February 9, 2025 Matt Wells of Nomadic Kayak Fishing shared a video on YouTube of a dramatic encounter with a shark from his fishing kayak. The video immediately went viral, with over a million views in just a few days.
Now, 19-year-old Wells is speaking about the encounter.
Sharks: bullies of the ocean or maligned big fish?
Wells was fishing for yellowtail kingfish in Bay of Islands, New Zealand when a large shark emerged from the blue off the stern of his kayak. Wells cut off his live bait and began to paddle in a controlled manner back toward his put in while the shark followed, seemingly investigating his rudder.
Eventually the shark disappeared into the ocean and Wells was able to land safely, both him and his kayak intact. According to an interview with 9 News Australia, despite the encounter Wells was back on the water in the same spot at five a.m. the next morning fishing.
“I was a bit in shock. It was a whole lot of emotions hitting at once. I was terrified, shocked, excited, and just sort of in awe of the size of the animal,” Wells shared in the 9 News Australia interview.
“Brother you’re lucky,” commented Karl Stefanovic, journalist for the Nine Network. “You’re actually in a kayak and this is a big, big shark and there’s not a lot between you and death. Did that occur to you, that you might get taken out by this thing?”
While the thought that he was being hunted certainly occurred to him, Wells shared that he does not think he was actually on the menu.
“It crossed my mind but to be quite honest I don’t think it was hunting me. Yes, they can attack you but they’re a curious animal more than anything and really I think he was just giving me a fright and having a bit of fun,” said Wells.
On the risks of kayak fishing
Stefanovic went on to ask Wells if he had been close to death like this before while kayak fishing, and commented that he didn’t know “why anyone would do this”.
“I wouldn’t say I was close to death, and no, I haven’t been close to death I think ever in the kayak,” Wells explained before addressing the question of why kayak fish on the ocean. “It’s pretty easy to understand once you’ve done it. The feeling of catching a fish from a kayak… you’re so connected with the environment it’s really like nothing else you’ve experienced and it’s very addicting.”
“I would much rather be fishing from a hundred meter super yacht,” joked Stefanovic.
Wells went on to share a little about the goal of his YouTube channel, Nomadic Kayak Fishing, where he documents his kayak fishing adventures and solo van life throughout New Zealand.
“The goal with the whole YouTube thing for me is to hopefully inspire some other people to get out there and follow their passion and maybe also inspire people to break free of what a lot of people consider to be society’s normal path and hopefully inspire someone to live life on their terms and live life for its experiences,” explained Wells.
In his initial viral video, Wells shared that encounters with sharks and big animals are a risk of recreating on the ocean.
“You’re stepping into their house so you have to be respectful and understand that’s sort of the risk you take,” Wells concluded the video.
