What is it about kayak angling that attracts the inevitable monthly shark video going viral online? Maybe the fact we spend so much of our time in tidal waters with a fish at the end of a hook.
Sharks are opportunistic hunters, but it’s not our kayaks they are after. The International Shark Attack File’s 2023 bite report had just 120 incidents worldwide among the millions of people who use our waters. Of those incidents, just nine bites included someone in a boat such as a kayak.
What’s far more likely is a shark seeing the fish on our line as an easy meal or the fact there are sharks anglers specifically target. These facts without doubt lead to some, shall we say, riveting encounters that we enjoy sharing with readers. For your viewing, here is our collection of the wildest kayak fishing shark interactions we’ve witnessed in recent years.
Wildest Shark Encounters With Kayak Anglers
Shark rams kayaker while chasing seal
Greg Potter was fishing of the coast of New Zealand when he witnessed a seal making leaps to evade what he identified as a white shark. The seal then decided Potter’s kayak might make a perfect refuge and that’s when things get a little close for comfort.
“Holy Liftin’!” Angler going for striped bass hooks white shark
Rick Austin was fishing for striped bass in Nova Scotia when the sport angling switched to final boss level, and he found himself in a fight with what was estimated to be an 8-foot great white shark.
Drone captures great white shark encounter with kayaker
So many of the videos we see of shark encounters with kayaks are from the angler’s point of view, but thanks to Carlos Gauna, the Malibu Artist, we have a library from a bird’ s-eye view. Gauna captures drone footage of white sharks off the coast of Southern California. His videos feature surfers, paddleboarders, and, of course, plenty of kayak anglers, such as this remarkable video.
Angler fights off aggressive hammerhead
The kayak angler in this video feels a couple of bumps to their kayak before spotting the hammerhead investigating the boat. The angler is able to make a couple of paddle jabs to scare the hammerhead off and make their way to shore, but there are numerous lessons within this video, including wearing a life jacket to be prepared should you be capsized.
Porbeagle capsizes kayak with brute strength
Graham Smith is well-versed in big game fishing on the cold waters of the North Atlantic. But Smith will never forget the day a brutish porbeagle sent him for a swim on the Irish coast. Porbeagles can reach an average size of 11 feet and weigh more than 300 pounds. If you’re wondering whether this was Smith’s first rodeo with one of these powerful sharks though, read our longer account of the incident.
Tiger shark attacks kayak
Scott Haraguchi was fishing off Kualoa on the northeast coast of Oahu when he heard a ‘whooshing’ sound and saw a wide brown object alongside his kayak. At first, as it happened so fast, he thought it was a turtle, but it was soon unquestionable, as the tiger shark took a lunging chomp at his kayak.
Angler watches shark annihilate his tuna
A tale as old as time that can just make you cry. YouTube creator Commodore Connor had a beautiful tuna on the line only to witness the tax man make a visit to take his share.
Shark smacks kayak and steals mackerel
Kayak anglers in South Africa are built a little differently. What would be a terrifying encounter for most is just another day on the Cape for Shaun Reid of Fishing Corner SA.
Feature Image: Fishing Corner SA // YouTube
