Incident Report
Great White Shark Strikes Kayak Fishing Vessel Off East London
East London, Eastern Cape·South Africa
A kayak fisherman experienced a dramatic encounter with a 4-meter great white shark near East London, South Africa, when the shark struck his vessel from below with enough force to launch it airborne. The paddler escaped without injury, though his kayak sustained damage.
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Incident Profile
Circumstances
Environmental
Individual
Location
Description
On November 9, 2019, a kayak fisherman paddling in the waters off Quigney Beach near East London in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province experienced a striking encounter with a great white shark. The incident occurred during early morning hours at approximately 6:50 a.m. while the fisherman and companions were engaged in kayak fishing in the Indian Ocean. A great white shark estimated at approximately 4 meters in length approached the fishing kayak in what witnesses described as notably aggressive behavior. The shark struck the kayak from beneath the surface with considerable force, launching both the vessel and its occupant upward and out of the water. According to an eyewitness paddling nearby, the initial strike was sudden and violent. The shark subsequently circled back and charged the kayak a second time, approaching from behind. The fisherman noted that this particular encounter differed markedly from other shark interactions he had experienced while fishing, as the shark appeared intent on attacking rather than investigating the kayak. Poor water visibility conditions at the time may have contributed to the shark's unusually aggressive behavior. Despite the severity of the encounter, the paddler sustained no physical injuries. The kayak, however, sustained damage from the strikes. Following the incident, the fisherman and his companions immediately returned to shore, ceasing their fishing activity. The incident gained public attention when video documentation of the encounter was released, providing eyewitness accounts and footage of the aggressive behavior exhibited by the shark during the encounter.