Updated: Shark takes bite on my kayak 8/28/20 Shelter Cove

Really?...never thought this would ever happen to me...

Met up with ThreemoneyJ (John) at Shelter Cove early Friday morning. I was excited in that work for the last three years and all the emergency type situations we have been experiencing has taken up most of my time and energy. I have had little opportunity to go fishing for a while. This last week I was suppose to go on a 3.5 day tuna trip vacation out of San Diego; however from the the fire being close and smoke in town I felt like I could not leave town and leave my post at work. On top of it all my left ankle is gone so at times I am gripping about that as well... bummed that I am out of that SD trip and the fires are a lot better than they were a week ago, I decide to take Friday off and go to Shelter Cove for the first time.

A bit rough, a lot of paddling and a few fish later John and are are paddling in after a long morning and into the afternoon when everything goes into slow motion. a thud (though I was up on a wash rock)... looking forward I see a shark has the front of my kayak is his mouth as I get thrown from the yak. What alarmed me most is I landed a little front of mid yak and his mouth is facing me. It looks just like all the photos you see of sharks. Mouth wide open with a lot of teeth and gum with my yak in his mouth. While in the water I have the thought flash... if and when he let's go he is facing toward me and is going to swim right into me. What seems like forever as we are looking at each other (which was in reality probably seconds) he lets go and swims in the opposite direction away from the front of my boat. I have to be honest those eyes did look dark and without a soul.

Now I am in the water and thinking, "what if he is going to swim back around and bites me." I flip my yak back over. I believe it took me three tries to get back on top. Once again what seem like forever was probably less than a minute. At that point I am very relieved I am not dangling in the water.

John was already on the radio seeking assistance and I could hear him talking on the radio with responses from others. Felt good that others were there to help. I look at a few items floating (lost three nice rods/reels and most of my stuff...only stuff) John says forget about the stuff as we start assessing the damage. He asks, if I am ok and if I was taking on water (nice call). I open the hatch and there is water in the hull! Thank God I attached my beige pump to the side of my yak. There were three fishing boats that cam immediately to our aide (wish I can thank them again!). We decide I can make it in as I pump and peddle into landing following John to the quickest way back to the launch. Thank you John for all your help!

All in all I am ok (except the constant image of the shark holding on to my yak). Many of you read these accounts, as I have in the past. Here is list of what I think went right:
Personal Floatation Device on and fit properly.
Dry suit with quality layering
Beige pump strap next to seat
VHF Radios (both of us)
Fishing partner
Self rescue

Not sure what went wrong. Perhaps yellow kayak, maybe in wrong spot at the wrong time. I was not dragging fish or do I bleed my rockfish (I found not that blood in the meat, unlike salmon). That said the landlord did not collect, God gave me another day, and Davey's Locker has some more really nice stuff.

Woke up this morning with what could be a broken hand, really sore ribs, sore legs and feeling blessed that today is a new day. 

I will try to upload photos of the bite marks today.

Dang thats one hell of an experience.  Dejavu for me going back July 2012.  A shark shield is now a must for me on any ocean trip. If you have a Hobie ask about their GWS guarranty, back then they did hull a replacement for a shark bit hull to a brand new one.

Glad the landlord did not collect the rent from  you. Thanks for sharing your story with us Dave.

Thank goodness things turned out for the better.
Really curious as to what may have caused the hand and ribs injury? Especially since you were wearing a PFD.
Scary tale that you will be telling for a long long time. 

OMG! Dave i am glad your are alright.

Glad all is ok!  Thank you for taking the time to share with us amid the traumatic event.

Wow! Wonder if that's the same shark I heard about on Tuesday up there...Eric had told me there's also a big Mako hanging out...

Crazy story, glad you're alright. As a newbie, the Shark Shield was on my radar, but it was kind of on the back burner for things I need to buy. This story might've bumped it up a few places on the shopping list. I'm now searching the forums for the preferred devices!

Thank goodness things turned out for the better.
Really curious as to what may have caused the hand and ribs injury? Especially since you were wearing a PFD.
Scary tale that you will be telling for a long long time. 

I think when I was flipping the boat over it came back down on the top on my hand... not really sure.? Ribs are probably sore from this old man pulling his out of shape body back into the boat. Not sure either.

Thank goodness things turned out for the better.
Really curious as to what may have caused the hand and ribs injury? Especially since you were wearing a PFD.
Scary tale that you will be telling for a long long time. 

I think when I was flipping the boat over it came back down on the top on my hand... not really sure.? Ribs are probably sore from this old man pulling his out of shape body back into the boat. Not sure either.

Broken hand was from punching the shark in the head, causing it to let go and run away, conceding that you are a bigger badass that’s it is.

Glad you’re in one piece.  Cove is sharky this year.

Epic story! Glad you are all right. That’s too shark kayak attacks in the cove this summer... Interesting you weren’t dragging or bleeding fish. Were you paddling when this happened? I wonder if there was something about the size/shape of the kayak or the water or cloud conditions that made the shark mistake you for a seal.

Glad you're OK, Dave.

Craziest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m glad you’re okay.

I was maybe 30 feet away off at a 45 degree angle and slightly behind. The initial hit was a dull thump that sounded like dropping a kayak off a rack or kitting a dock really hard. Then the front of David’s boat is coming out of the water and my first thought was that he had gotten on a hidden wash rock. Now the kayak is further out of the water and David is falling out. Now I see that it’s a shark and it has the whole nose of his kayak in its mouth. It’s thrashing in the water with the kayak in his mouth but luckily it has the front of the kayak and David is at the back of the kayak. It let’s go of the kayak and swirls once more on the surface and is gone.

David rights his kayak (it was flipped) no problem and starts to climb back in. It’s takes a couple tries to get in, but he does it no problem. Injury check and nothing obvious. Kayak and gear check (leave the gear it’s time to go) shows a leaky kayak, but the bilge pump is in easy reach and David is pumping it out.

Multiple boats come to assist. After a minute or two we determine that we won’t need any sort of water rescue, but an escort to the ramp area would be appreciated just in case.

It was a white, not a mako. Barrel shaped and an unreal grey color. I have no idea on length. It looked about 50 feet long from where I was. It was at least as long as David’s revo 13. On the radio somebody was asking if I was sure it wasn’t just a sea lion that had knocked him out of the kayak. Yeah I was sure it wasn’t a sea lion.


Some of my thoughts on the incident and what went right:

-David in proper immersion gear and PFD.
-David comfortable with and able to right his kayak and self rescue without assistance.
-Radios charged up and know how to use them for assistance.
-Bilge pump easily accessible and David knew how to use it. The kayak was taking on water and had to be pumped out constantly on the way back in.
-When it’s time to go it’s time to go. No looking for lost gear. Leave it and get to safety.
-Thank goodness emergency medical attention was not needed, but a tourniquet is always in my PFD.

What happened?
-We were shallow, my FF said 20-25 feet.
-We were somewhat near where the seals like to hang out.
-Sharks like yellow kayaks 

Its crazy!! Glad you are OK! I was just prompt on my Facebook yesterday was my 4th year anniversary of my close encounter at Shelter Cove. Glad you are safe.

So glad you're OK. I was circled by a GWS in Capitola a couple years ago. It was curious, not aggressive. And have seen fins there twice. Shocking and sobering. Can't imagine the shock of being hit. Sounds like you did as much right as can be done. Be well