Kayaker Fights Off Aggressive Hammerhead Shark Near Santa Barbara
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A kayak fisherman fought off a "super aggressive" hammerhead shark off Gaviota State Beach north of Santa Barbara and caught it on video.
Mark McCraken wrote on his Instagram account he had to hit the shark "over 20 times before he finally gave me some space but still stalked me for half a mile all the way back to shore."
The encounter lasted about 15 minutes. He said the shark followed him into about 3 feet of water. "Even after I was on shore, he paced back and forth in about 3 feet of water like he was just waiting for me to come back out. Pretty bizarre and crazy experience to say the least."
There have been several close encounters with hammerhead sharks and kayakers over the past weeks at SoCal beaches. One bit a kayaker's foot i September. In August, an 8-to-10 foot hammerhead circled a group of kayakers prompting a 24-hour beach closure.
