Nothing is scarier than encountering an apex predator in their natural habitat, especially if they’re as big as the kayak you’re sitting in. South Australian native Matthew Gorne found that out the hard way. The professional fisherman was angling from a kayak fairly close to shore in Port Augusta, South Australia, when a great white shark appeared out of nowhere, and tried to take a bite out of his paddle. Lucky for us, he already had the GoPro running when it happened.
“I know I’m stupid for going out there without a shark shield,” Gorne told The Advertiser. “I will definitely be investing in one now though.”
While I won’t say that having a shark shield is the be-all, end-all to avoiding shark encounters, I will say that, statistically, having had one very, very close encounter with a great white, the chances Gorne has another encounter are pretty slim. If I were him, I’d be buying a lottery ticket or two right about now.
