For the second time in just a few days, a group of kayakers found themselves looking very closely at a great white shark. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
A group of kayakers off Australia’s northern beaches found themselves in a scary situation on Tuesday when a massive great white shark took an interest in them. While that’s a rare occurrence, a different white shark did the same thing to the same group just a few days before.
“This was a tagged shark,” one of the kayakers told 9 News Australia. “I think it was a little bit smaller, as well. I just said, ‘oh, not again.’”
The friends grouped together when the shark first appeared, but that didn’t deter it. For the next 15 minutes, the huge animal circled them. Great whites are naturally curious creatures, and it can’t be said for certain what its intentions were. Authorities were called and a boat and a helicopter arrived on scene in an attempt to scare the shark away. That attempt was successful, and the group was escorted back to shore safely — but they’ve got one hell of a story to tell.
“We took the shark away from them just by moving the boat so it got scared of the engine,” explained Sennen Pedley, who was aboard the rescue vessel.
Now, nearby Hillarys Dog Beach is closed to the public. There have been 11 tagged sharks and sightings in the area since Saturday. In the past, small boats like kayaks have been attacked by sharks in the area, so experts warn that users aren’t safe from shark attacks if they’re in one.