The tale of the one that got away is familiar to many fisherman. In this case, Scott Haraguchi is glad it did.
In Windward Oahu, he was kayak fishing over a mile offshore when he accidentally left his GoPro turned on after catching a fish. That GoPro then captured harrowing moments.
Haraguchi recounts kicking the shark away and continuing to fish, being unaware of the grapple he had just been through until he got home and looked at his video. It’s possible the shark mistook him for a wounded seal, which was nearby when he encountered it. Subsequently, Marine Corps Base Hawaii closed North Beach due to a 20 foot shark sighting on Saturday. Haraguchi is now looking out for himself by bringing partners while fishing and reflecting on how precious life is. “I realise that life is short, time is short on Earth, so make the most of it,” he says.
Kayaks do get attacked by sharks, and when they do, it is because they mistake them for prey. It is easy for these curious creatures to mistake a kayak on the surface for a seal or sea lion, and they bump your kayak as they investigate. The two main types of shark that attack humans are the great white shark and the bull shark.
