New Zealand GW encounter

This is hard to watch but....

https://youtu.be/W02h2ALuoxk?si=ys0lTK-61rFiSaM7

I know we don't live in New Zealand but we do have Great Whites. Does it seem like this guy was trying to lure or bait the shark with his reactions?


Edit: Shoot can't make the video show just the link....

Edit:Thanks Jason!

Good vid, great footage
“If the water tastes salty….”

Should've stuck his arm under the water with a handheld waterproof cam...   

What a kook. Maybe don't frantically/erratically paddle away?

It looked pretty flat - I'd think paddling to the shoreline would be a good move, even if there's not a landing opportunity.  If he got tossed, it would be good to be able to swim ashore.

Pretty weak ass paddle stroke... He could dig in a bit more if he wanted to get away faster. 

Oi, he looked pretty freaked out. Nerves probably influenced his reaction - likely why he didn't paddle closer to shore or use a more efficient paddle stroke.

This has me thinking.... What is the right thing to do here? I'd be tempted to stop paddling and get ready to swing my gaff with everything I had. Not trying to hook it, but just trying to scare it away.  I try to keep a pretty tidy cockpit already, especially in the salt, but I'd probably also secure as much stuff on deck as I could, just in case I do get tossed. Wouldn't want any extra items getting in the way, especially if I am trying to visually track a shark circling me.

When I got followed in HMB, my first thought was to radio John and head his way. He paddles a Revo 16, I figured the shark would prefer a bigger meal 

Even though the breakers near the jetty there are wreckers, that was a far more appealing option than being chewed on. +1 for heading to shore.

.... Does it seem like this guy was trying to lure or bait the shark with his reactions?

Based on the giant bait he put in and the size of the hook he used I think he was targeting sharks. I don't know what he was going to do if he actually hooked up to something big enough to take his bait.

I think it might have been better to stay still. When he started paddling it looked like when you jerk a lure a little to entice a fish to bite. Of course, it's easy for me typing in my kitchen to say stay still...

It looked pretty flat - I'd think paddling to the shoreline would be a good move, even if there's not a landing opportunity.  If he got tossed, it would be good to be able to swim ashore.

That was my thought as well, maybe try and get closer to shore and maybe shake them that way or find a way out of the water.  I'd also say he was way calmer sounding than I would be...  Nothing makes you feel more vulnerable than a apex predator on your tail.

Better to relax and shit in your skivs than to try to outrun it like that. Good demonstration of how fear can disable your brain

We’re in a very sharky zone too so good to be aware what the reality is

For years I kept sightings to myself after I said something once people would say things like ‘probably just a whale shark’

I purposely did not peddle on my encounter in HMB. I didn't want to trigger a response. I slowly pedaled off once it stopped circling, but it did follow for a bit. But the shark was a bit shorter than my Outback, so it wasn't a total code brown. Plus I had 50 lbs dog meat on the back I could always sacrifice to the ocean if worse came to worse and it tipped me. Better her than me....

He explains in the video that he does not want to paddle faster for fear of triggering a response and does not want to head to shore for fear of acting like a seal.

Should've stuck his arm under the water with a handheld waterproof cam...   

Who would do something as crazy as that Eric? 

+1 for heading to shore.

I'm with you guys, paddle slowly to shore and scramble up on the rocks then figure out what to do next from there.

If I start counting encounters that come to mind it makes me wonder why I ever fished from a kayak and kept it up for so many years

Years ago when I posted what was meant to be a cautionary about this a guy didn’t like my choice of words and chewed me a new one for it. People ought to know it’s one of the risks

I used to think it was all about location, ano Nuevo, pigeon point, Muir, bolinas/stinson come to mind as hotspots

In reality these beasts can turn up anywhere

Boy I miss fishing