Kayakers Film Encounter With Great White Shark

Ian Walters and John-Patrick Thomas were kayak fishing and they had an encounter with a 14 foot great white shark in Half Moon Bay.Photo byphoto by Getty Images

A pair of kayakers in Half Moon Bay waters got an up-close and personal encounter with a 14-foot great white shark, and they caught it all on video.

A sixth grade teacher from Oakland, Ian Walters, and his friend John-Patrick Thomas recorded the interesting encounter and shared the video online. The shark was feet away from them. Less than a mile off shore, Ian and his friend were kayak fishing when Ian looked over and saw the dorsal fin of a shark sticking out of the water.

They did not panic, and they put their kayaks near each other to seem bigger. The shark seemed to be investigating the kayakers, and eventually they led it to some sea lions in the distance, and the shark moved away. They then slowly moved towards the shore to get away.

Walters told KRON News that he feels lucky. “It was pretty magical to be near one like that. The apex of the apex predators. It wasn’t aggressive at all. The experience was mostly surreal,” he said.

The president of the California White Shark Project, Dr. Paul Kanive, told KRON TV that the video shows a great white shark measuring about 14 feet. “If it gets too close, poke it on the nose,” and the shark will probably move away because they don't like it. Sharks are migrating in August as they move into the open ocean, so they are going to be seen closer to shore at this time. In 2021, a study showed that there are approximately 300 great white sharks living off of the central coast.