Hammerhead shark trails kayakers for miles off Palm Beach

PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL (WFLA) – Two fishermen in kayaks had a close encounter with a hammerhead shark off the shore of Palm Beach last Friday.

According to WPTV, the NBC affiliate in Palm Beach, the 13-foot shark circled their kayaks for nearly two miles as they made their way to shore.

The shark even bumped into their kayak several times. Eventually, the shark swam off, but gave the men quite a scare.

“It’s not really a huge thing to see sharks,” kayaker Mark Naumovitz, of Port St. Lucie, told WPTV. “But when you have a dorsal fin trailing you like its Jaws, it’s a different story.”

“It freaked me out a little,” the second kayaker Brian Nelli, of Palm Beach Gardens, said.

The men were dragging their catch, a 16-pound Mahi, behind their kayak. It was a choppy day on the water, and the shark appeared suddenly.

George Burgess, the International Shark Attack File’s director, says the shark was likely following them because of the fish.

Hammerhead sharks “smell very well,” Burgess said. “They see very well. They are persistent. The fish that were caught by these guys was no doubt the important factor.”

Nelli says they often see sharks on the water, so they didn’t panic until it approached their kayak. Nelli says he tries to film as much as he can while on the water.

Source: WFLA