Video captured by a fisherman in Hawaii shows a frightening high-speed encounter in which a shark surprises him and attacks his kayak in deep water.
Footage taken on Friday by a GoPro worn by the fisherman shows him sitting in a yellow kayak with his left foot dangling over the side and the massive fish rush the vessel head-on.
Scott Haraguchi told local outlet KITV he was fishing about a mile offshore from the island of Oahu and had just caught a fish before the attack took place.
“I heard a whooshing sound that sounded like a boat heading towards me without the motor, and I looked up and I saw this big wide brown thing which my brain thought was a turtle, but then I got slammed by it and realized that it was a tiger shark,” Haraguchi told the outlet.
Kayaker says he saw wounded seal in area
The shark, which appears to be about the length of the kayak, bites the side of the boat narrowly missing Haraguchi’s foot. After the chomp, the fish quickly disappears below the ocean surface as Haraguchi screams in terror.
“Tiger shark!” he yells. “Tiger shark rammed me.”
Haraguchi, who said he was not injured, told the outlet shortly after the attack, he saw an injured seal and believes the fish may have mistaken the kayak for the wounded animal.
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He said was thankful he was not hurt.
“I realize that life is short, time is short on Earth, so make the most of it,” he told the outlet.
Hawaii shark attacks
The encounter comes after four confirmed sharks attacks have been recorded so far this year in the Aloha State, according to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.
The most recent confirmed attack took place took place last month when a person was bitten and injured by a tiger shark while surfing off the Honolulu coast, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said.
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According to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File, more shark attacks were recorded in the U.S. than any other country; 41 of 57 confirmed unprovoked attacks around the world were reported in the U.S.
Five attacks, including one fatal encounter, took place in the Aloha State, the museum reported.
Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
