7 Wildest Shark Encounters With Kayaks And Paddleboards (Video)

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he depiction of the gigantic, man-eating great white that dominated movie theatre screens in the 70s might have been a touch sensationalized. In 2023, the International Shark Attack File reported just 120 shark bites worldwide among the hundreds of millions of people who take to the ocean. The likelihood of a shark attack on a kayak or paddleboard is even slimmer. Of those reported incidents in 2023, just nine included boats such as kayaks.

Sharks inhabit all five of the Earth’s oceans and can even reside in freshwater lakes and rivers. A large part of what draws us to paddling across oceans or a local bay though is the opportunity to feel connected to the vastness of our planet and its astonishing beings.

So, what does this mean for you, especially if you’re a coastal kayaker? Well, you could go an entire lifetime of paddling and never have an interaction with a shark. But you should also be aware anytime you leave a coastal launch an encounter is a possibility. Some paddlers even hope for the opportunity to witness a shark on the water.

There are many misconceptions about sharks, and we aren’t seeking to perpetuate fears, but to be real with ourselves, just like a river carnage video we just can’t look away from a good shark video posted online. From encounters caught on camera we also gain a better understanding of shark behavior. Here we’ve rounded up some of the wildest encounters on video over the last decade.

Do Sharks Attack Kayaks? Here Are The Facts & Precautions You Can Take

Wildest shark encounters with kayaks and paddleboards

Sea kayaker chased by shark

Experienced sea kayaker, Drew Trousdell, had paddled in the area at least 50 times before and had never seen a shark. This day was one for the books, as he was charged by (what he believed to be) a 5-foot blacktip shark. Watch until the end to see how his carbon Werner paddle faired in the interaction.

Spinner shark drops in on wave

Maximo Trinidad just paddled into his wave and starts to shred down the line when a spinner shark without etiquette snakes his wave with its signature twirling breach. Spinners sharks migrate up and down the Florida coast multiple times a year, providing an entertaining visual display from shore, and a slightly more concerning one if you’re out in the lineup.

Kayaker falls into sharky waters

A marine biologist and shark enthusiast accidentally fell into shark-infested waters while leaning over a little too far to retrieve the glasses he had dropped in the water. If it were us, we would have ditched those glasses.

SUP racer trailed by hammerhead

According to CBS affiliate 10 Tampa Bay, Malea Tribble and her husband, Rickey Tribble, were participating in the Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis relay race from the Bahamas to Florida when a hammerhead shark showed up behind Malea’s paddleboard. The racer’s hopped in the support vessel until the shark moved along

Surrounded by white sharks

If you’re looking for evidence sharks are near us far more often than we realize, look no further than the videos of Carlos Gauna. Gauna’s YouTube channel shares his collection of drone work filmed off the coast of Southern California, and shows just how often kayakers, paddleboarders and surfers are within close proximity to sharks without negative interaction.

Standup paddleboarder thrown into water

A woman is watching a shark maneuvering close to her paddleboard. Then the shark appears to bump the board, knocking the woman into the water. The paddler falls onto the shark with a WWE-like elbow drop. Rumor has it both the woman and the shark came away from the incident unharmed.

Kayak angler capsized by shark

This Florida kayak angler reeled in more than he bargained for. The shark not only hijacked his rod and fishing setup—it wanted the kayak too.