Witness this heart-stopping encounter as a shark propels itself out of the ocean, making a daring attempt to snatch a piece from a fisherman’s kayak.
Captured on film, we see Scott Haraguchi, an experienced angler, navigating the waters near the shores of O’ahu, a beautiful Hawaiian island. Suddenly, a massive tiger shark emerges from beneath the surface, hurtling towards his kayak.
With its menacing teeth bared, the shark lunges at the vessel with astonishing velocity, creating a thunderous roar akin to an unpowered boat charging towards Haraguchi.
In a remarkable display of reflexes, Haraguchi swiftly fended off the shark after its lightning-fast assault.
The gripping footage reveals Haraguchi, equipped with a GoPro camera, audibly expressing his shock and alarm, exclaiming, “Tiger shark rammed me!”
According to Haraguchi, who spoke with ABC-affiliate KITV 4, he initially mistook the whooshing sound for a boat with a faulty engine. As he looked up, he saw a large, brown creature hurtling towards him. He initially thought it was a turtle until he was slammed by the animal and realized it was a tiger shark.
Despite the frightening encounter, Haraguchi continued to fish. He speculated that the shark might have mistaken his kayak for a seal, as he spotted a wounded seal shortly after the attack.
Haraguchi commented on the incident, stating that he had gained a greater appreciation for life’s fleeting nature and urged others to seize every moment.
Tiger sharks are notorious man-eaters and are the second-deadliest shark species, following the great white shark.
In a separate incident in December of last year, a 68-year-old man from Waikoloa, Hawaii, fended off a 12-foot tiger shark using a diving knife after it bit him on the buttocks, tearing off a sizable chunk. Witnesses said the man swam daily and was approximately 400 yards from the shore when the shark attacked. He managed to fend off the animal using a diving knife before two people on paddleboards helped him to shore, and he was taken to the hospital for treatment.
In a harrowing incident from October of last year, diving expert Ocean Ramsey narrowly escaped a potential tiger shark attack just as she was about to enter the waters off Haleiwa, Hawaii.
According to data revealed in February, the majority of unprovoked shark attacks occurred in the United States and Australia in the previous year. Florida emerged as the shark bite capital of the world, with 16 reported unprovoked attacks in that region alone.
In 2022, there were a total of 57 unprovoked shark bites worldwide, resulting in only five fatalities. This number decreased from the previous year, 2021, which saw 73 incidents and nine deaths.
An interactive map developed by the Florida Museum in August showcased the global distribution of unprovoked shark attacks. The United States ranked as the world’s hotspot for shark attacks, with 1,563 recorded incidents since 1580, followed by Australia with 682 attacks, the Republic of South Africa with 258 attacks, and Brazil with 110 attacks.
Florida accounted for a significant portion of these incidents, although none of them were fatal. However, two attacks did lead to amputations, most likely caused by bull sharks.
In another case, a woman named Heather West, aged 42, encountered a six-foot lemon shark while snorkeling in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida. Startled by a peculiarly floating patch of sea grass, she turned around to find the shark clamping its jaws around her foot, causing severe damage. Heather bravely defended herself by repeatedly punching the shark in the face. It was only the eleventh known unprovoked attack by a lemon shark.