A fisherman on a paddle ski who was out looking for barracuda had a close encounter with a great white shark two kilometres off the coast of Scottburgh on Saturday, according to the South Coast Herald, and luckily came out unscathed.
Umkomaas resident Mick Clarke posted a Facebook live video on Saturday, where the fisherman, Muir Robertson, talks about his encounter. He says he was out on the water with a friend when the shark bumped his kayak, and he first thought it was a grey shark. Muir told his friend Sean Jansen van Rensburg that the sharks were out so it was unlikely they were going to land a barracuda and they began to paddle again. According to Robertson, ‘The next thing a great white bit onto the back of the ski, lifting the back of the ski out the water and rolling over, throwing me into the water.’
‘It took me a while to get back on.’ He also says, ‘I think Sean thought I was gone when I went under the water the first time’.
The back of the paddle ski suffered minor damage considering what great white sharks are capable of. Although it’s impossible to know the shark’s intention, it is possible that it was just curious or mistook the kayak for possible prey and then realised its error.
Watch the interview with Muir Robertson below:
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