During a week where the East Coast was enduring shark mania, the West Coast had a close encounter as well. On July 7, 2012 one of the NorCal Kayak Anglers was heading out for a hot White Sea Bass bite in Capitola, CA near Santa Cruz, when his yellow Hobie Revo was grabbed from below. The impact ejected him from the kayak, and doubtless added a few grey hairs.

Along with two kayak-fishing companions, the 52-year-old fisherman first felt a “nudge” on the stern of his boat.  Then, the shark grabbed the bow from beneath, hitting the Hobie hard.  The fisherman went into the water, but quickly climbed back aboard his kayak.

Because the boat was punctured and taking on water, he accepted a ride back to nearby Capitola Wharf from helpful powerboaters who were nearby and witnessed the attack. His two companions paddled back in unmolested, and there was no further sighting of the shark.  

On the Northern California Coastline, shark/human interactions like this most commonly involve Great Whites. All doubt was removed when Capitola police later extracted the tip of one shark tooth from the yellow Revo. The triangular shape and serrated edges positively ID this shark as a White.

It took a week, but on July 14, officers from Capitola PD delivered the kayak and the tooth fragment to the unfortunate kayaker’s home. the eyewitness accounts, the 18-inch bite mark circumference and tooth tip size provide an estimate this shark was likely 16-feet long and weighed over one ton.