Fisherman in flimsy kayak throws down his rod as enormous great white shark swims into view

Published: 09:56 EDT, 27 October 2026 | Updated: 09:57 EDT, 27 October 2026 The terrifying moment a fisherman in a flimsy kayak was stalked by a huge great white shark off the coast of California has been caught on video.David Slavich was kayaking in Half Moon Bay, 30 miles south of San Francisco on Sunday when he spotted the beast approaching him.'I hear this woosh, and I look over my shoulder, and I see this massive silhouette and the distinctive fin,' Slavich told KRON.'This is not a killer whale, this is not a dolphin, this is a great white,' Slavich added.Harrowing video filmed by Slavich showed the predator approaching him.'Oh my god, oh my god, there's a great white shark, oh my god,' he said.He then reeled in his fishing rod and threw it down to avoid the shark.'It's fight-or-flight mode that you go into mostly. I was like, I got to get my rig off the water. I don't want this thing pulling on my line,' he told the outlet.'So I get my rig up super-fast. You see that in the video and then I just kind of brace myself for impact. I didn't know what was going to happen.' David Slavich was kayaking in Half Moon Bay, 30 miles south of San Francisco on Sunday when he spotted the beast approaching him As the predator approached Slavich, he went: 'Oh my god, oh my god, there's a great white shark, oh my god,' and reeled in his fishing rod to avoid contactThe shark was a few inches away from the fisherman and it ultimately swam past without attacking him. Slavich recalled that a paddleboarder in the area had earlier warned Slavich about spotting a great white shark nearby. However the fisherman did not think that he would spot the predator himself.'What are the odds that I'm going to run into the shark that he ran into,' Slavich said.Slavich couldn't have been more wrong.'There is this giant eyeball locking with my eyeballs, and it was one of the most surreal moments I've ever had in my life,' the fisherman said. Slavich's wife Andrea joked that he will not be going on any more fishing trips Slavich said that he was thankful that the shark did not hurt him and swiftly moved away from his kayak.'I think my encounter really just proves that they are not interested in eating people, that they are pretty curious,' he said.'Didn't mean my heart wasn't beating through my chest because they can explore my leg a bit and I won't necessarily survive that exploration,' Slavich said.Slavich's wife Andrea joked that he will not be going on any more fishing trips.'No. Not unless you get a boat,' she said.