Posted on 10/09/2019 9:00:43 PM PDT by EinNYC
Teeth marks from a great white shark are proof of a San Diego kayaker's narrow brush with danger off the coast of Catalina Island.
The incident happened as Danny McDaniel and Jon Chambers were kayaking Saturday morning near Ship Rock, about two miles east of Catalina. The excursion was part of a scuba diving trip coordinated by Power Scuba from the island's Boy Scouts camp.
"Felt push to the left, looked to right, giant great white shark a foot from my boot," said McDaniel. "His upper half of body was out of the water, his dorsal fin was out of the water."
Chambers was the first to notice the 19-foot shark before McDaniel turned around.
"Look at it and said, 'oh crap, oh crap, oh crap'," said Chambers. "I yelled at him to hit it."
The shark had its jaws clamped on the back of the nine-foot-long kayak, inches from McDaniel.
"Saw a giant, triangular, conical-shaped head right there and a huge body. Just a massive body," said McDaniel.
Both men said they were frozen in fear as the great white shark hung on to the kayak for four or five seconds.
Eventually, the shark let go, leaving behind puncture wounds and two large teeth in the kayak.
"I don't think he took a full chomp. I think he just took a nibble and pushed," said McDaniel.
The kayakers kept their paddles out of the water and did not move for several moments lest the shark return. McDaniel was "literally frozen" during that time.
Despite the close encounter, McDaniel and Chambers continued with their plan to scuba dive later Saturday evening.
"Won't keep me out of the water, won't scare me out of the water," McDaniel said of the encounter.
McDaniel offered to buy the kayak from the Boy Scout camp, which turned down his offer, according to Power Scuba owner Bill Powers.
"I think I've had my fill of great white sharks; I'm good. But I'm fortunate to have this experience," said McDaniel.
"It's one for the books. Not something you want to replicate," said Chambers. "He had the best shark attack experience without it being a bad story."
Having a fatal encounter with a shark is statistically about as likely as winning the lottery. Of course a few people do win the lottery every year. This episode is like checking your ticket and finding out that you missed every number by just one.
Well, at least he got a couple nifty souvenirs.
If this happened to me, I would stick to fresh water recreation for the rest of my natural life.
Better with catsup
It shows them pearly white.
Good thing this fool
Didn’t have an inflatable kayak like me!
Only swimming pools.
I want to know that I am the largest carnivorous animal in the water.
What is that thing?
Snapping turtle. Nasty critters.
They think the shark deserves a second chance?
Which is another freshwater species (but not found in the US). Piranha have been found in US waters but aren't a danger yet afaik - just people's released "pets.". But there are plenty of bitey things that are: snakes, eels, etc. You can't always count on freshwater being perfectly safe ito nasty critters.
When I was a kid in Kansas we used to go swimming in the Arkansas River all the time - clean, shallow, not much that could hurt you, until one year every square inch was choked with slithery snakes of almost every species found in the Great Plains, due to flooding further out West. We were a bit more careful about getting into the river after that!
Gosh you must be up in years to remember Mack The Knife. Mackey is back in town
He’s going to need a bigger boat.
“If this happened to me, I would stick to fresh water recreation for the rest of my natural life.”
Bull sharks, meaner than Great Whites, thrive in fresh water.
Depending on where you are in the world there are all manner of nasties just waiting to take a bite out of whatever they encounter.
One example is the Pacu. The freshwater fish common in South America typically feeds on nuts that fall into the water.
It’s nickname is “the ball cutter” because of it’s ability to snatch away a gents testicles with a single bite.
Other than your bath tub or your personal pool....it just ain’t safe.
I’ve actually been swimming and had a large snapper in the water near me. They don’t mind humans.
West coaster...
these critters waiting in fresh water. And you don't even have to be in the water (click on picture)
Sharks have been found as far up the Mississippi River as St. Louis. And then there are the gators, and lately, pythons. Fresh water is no panacea.
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