Hammerhead Shadowed Kayak Fishermen for Two Miles in Florida
OutdoorHub Reporters 11.17.14
It is not uncommon for kayak fishermen to run into sharks, but to be actively followed by one is definitely cause for concern. According to WFLA, two men fishing off the shore of Palm Beach, Florida two weeks ago said they were stalked by a hammerhead for about two miles. The predator was likely attracted to the fish that the two anglers caught, and even got close enough to bump the men’s kayaks.
“It’s not really a huge thing to see sharks,” Mark Naumovitz, one of the fishermen, told the Sun Sentinel. “But when you have a dorsal fin trailing you like its Jaws, it’s a different story.”
The fishermen were even able to capture the hammerhead on tape by dipping a camera under the surface of the water. Hammerheads have a particularly keen sense of smell and will occasionally investigate anglers or bait lines for an easy meal. Hammerheads are known to be docile when interacting with humans in the water, but they also have a reputation for stealing fish off the line. In this case, the free meal appeared to be a 16-pound mahi that Naumovitz caught earlier that day.
“I was reminding myself there was a shark in the water and not to fall out,” said Brian Nelli, the other fisherman.
Luckily, the only thing that dropped into the water was the fishermens’ GoPro camera. The shark eventually lost interest in the pair and moved off, but not before coming close enough for the anglers to touch. You can watch some of the video they recorded below.
