He's going to need a bigger boat! A kayaker recalls a very close call with a terrifying great white shark. The giant fish got a bit closer than the kayaker probably wished. A pair of kayakers were fishing off the coast of San Francisco when they encountered the fish.
The great white shark's fin poked out of the water like it was trying out for the Jaws reboot. Fortunately, things didn't end up like in those movies. The two kayakers were certainly glad not to be chum in a great white's belly. John-Patrick Thomas and his buddy Ian Walters were fishing for link cod and halibut in Half Moon Bay when the shark appeared.
To make matters worse, it was their first time in the bay. So as you can imagine, both weren't thrilled about the appearance of the giant fish. However, Walters appreciated the moment as something special and unique. Afterall, how often do you get that close to a great white without ending up in its belly. "It's disconcerting because it's a new experience for me, not so much that the shark was doing anything scary," Walters told Fox affiliate KTVU-TV on Tuesday. "It's big, but I felt lucky and it was a special experience more than anything else."
Kayaker Talks Great White Encounter
If you thought the two kayakers felt safe in their kayaks then think again. Both of their kayaks may have been 13 foot long, but the shark was even bigger than that. Fortunately the fish just circled them for a few minutes before departing the area.
"The crazy thing was, the dorsal would move, and the tail would move much later so you would get a sense of the size of the animal," Walters told the outlet.
Now, both kayakers have a story they can tell at parties or to their friends. As Walters points out, great whites aren't mindless killing machines. They have more nuance than that.
"Everyone grows up thinking the great white sharks are this mindless killing machine," he told KTVU." But they play this really important role and generally they don't have any interest in killing anyone."
