Tiger Shark Attacking Small Kayak Off Hawaii Coast Caught on Video

A tiger shark attacking a small kayak off the Hawaii coast was caught on video, showing that the ocean predator came out of nowhere and rammed the canoe, it was reported on Monday, May 15. The clip, taken last week, shows the raft's passenger almost falling into the water.

Hawaii Tiger Shark Attack

(Photo : JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images)

Based on a YouTube video posted by the channel Hawaii Nearshore Fishing, the kayaker was reportedly a fisherman who was sailing off the island of Oahu located less than 2 miles from the shore. In the 42-second footage, it can be seen in the clip that the tiger shark lunged onto the side of the kayak, which almost capsized due to the force. However, the watercraft stayed afloat and left the passenger safe.

In the viral video's description, the uploader said that the incident happened quickly after seeing a wide brown figure on the side of the kayak. Prior to the attack, the man's foot was in the water while he was on the kayak and only removed it as soon as the marine animal attacked him.

The incident took place in the afternoon of Friday, May 12, when Scott Haraguchi (the uploader of the video) was attempting to catch fish when he heard a "whooshing sound" comparable to a boat without a motor, according to the New York Post report of the same video.

The bizarre event was recorded by Scott's GoPro camera attached to his kayak. The angler also goes by the user's name @hawaiitnearshorefishing on Instagram, Newsweek reported.

Also Read: Shark Attack in the Florida Keys Leaves 10-Year-Old Boy to Lose a Part of His Leg

Hawaii Shark Population

A tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is a large carnivorous marine predator that can grow up to 15 feet in length. They are found in the waters of the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Tiger sharks are one of the three main shark species, including great white sharks, known for attacking humans, despite experts' assertions that such attacks are rare.

According to the University of Hawaii, tiger sharks are considered to be responsible for the majority of Hawaii shark attacks. wherein three or four attacks transpire on the U.S. island state on an annual average, with most shark encounters being non-fatal.

Despite the said statistics, there are still thousands of people who dive, swim, and surf in the waters of Hawaii daily.

Hawaii Shark Attacks

The rarity of shark attacks in Hawaii does not absolute safety not only for bathers and swimmers but also kayakers. In previous years, several shark attacks have been reported in Hawaiian waters.

In December 2022, Kristine Allen, a resident of Bellingham, Washington, died in a purported shark attack during her vacation in Hawaii.

Allen reportedly vanished while snorkeling in the waters near Keawakapu Point in south Maui island, her husband Blake Allen told The Bellingham Herald, as cited by CBS News. A large shark in the same area was spotted the moment she disappeared.