Kayak Fisherman’s Worst Nightmare Comes True As Great White Shark Swims Circles Around Him Off The Coast Of New Zealand

The famous “you’re gonna need a bigger boat” line doesn’t really hit the same when there’s a kayak involved.

That being said, this fisherman wetting some lines off the coast of New Zealand (Cape Rēinga to be exact) probably would have traded out his kayak for something a bit larger in a heartbeat. I don’t have a lot of experience with kayak fishing, but I’d assume you would prefer for the things swimming around you to not be larger than the vessel your occupying.

Matt Wells, a 19-year-old angler, was just trying to enjoy a day solo fishing when he got the scare of a lifetime. The fisherman already had the cameras rolling in case he were to reel in a big one, which meant that his realtime reaction to seeing the great white shark closing in on him was caught on tape.

Wells first became concerned when the live bait he was using attempted to swim away with all its might. Being an experienced fisherman (Wells says he’s been kayak fishing since he was 6-year-old), the teenager immediately knew that a bigger fish was in the area. He soon found out that the “bigger fish” was actually a massive, menacing great white shark.

The kayak fisherman quickly cut the live bait and understandably started freaking out. Who wouldn’t in that situation? Even someone with over a decade of experience fishing off the coast of New Zealand knows that you don’t want to mess with an apex predator like a great white shark… especially on their “home turf.”

In the video, you can hear Matt Wells trying his best to keep his cool as he paddles away from the great white shark that’s following close behind. Seeing the fin protruding out of water and seemingly tracking the kayak is stuff straight out of Jaws. The young fisherman knew it was an incredibly serious situation, and let some curse words out in the moment:

“F**k me there’s a huge great white behind me. F**k me, he’s following me. Leave me alone! F**k, if I get eaten, that’s not going to be much fun. He’s still right on my tail. Please don’t attack me bro.”

I can’t imagine that helpless feeling Wells probably had as he attempted to calmly paddle to shore.

Both cameras that Wells had going documented every second of the horrific encounter. The fisherman’s heart rate and breathing was through the roof, but nevertheless, the teenager kept things moving and kept hoping that the big ol’ great white would lose interest in his kayak.

It didn’t.

The video shows the intense chase going on for over six minutes, and Wells even said at one point that the great white shark was directly underneath his kayak. Though he didn’t want to litter, he tossed his water bottle overboard hoping that doing so would distract the shark.

Thankfully, the great white lost interest at some point, but Matt Wells never stopped paddling. The shark sighting effectively ended his fishing expedition, and I don’t think anyone would blame him for calling it a day after something like this. It’s wild that he got it all on camera, and fortunately, once he got to shore, he was able to reflect on the life-and-death situation he had just escaped from:

“It has taken me a minute to calm down and get the adrenaline down. This is the risk you take when you are kayak fishing. You are going into a big animal’s domain and you are stepping into his house…

Encountering the sea’s largest apex predator was both a terrifying and amazing experience. I’m glad to be back on land in one piece (all limbs and digits included).”

The post Kayak Fisherman’s Worst Nightmare Comes True As Great White Shark Swims Circles Around Him Off The Coast Of New Zealand first appeared on Whiskey Riff.