Water News

    Great White Shark Takes Bite from Kayak

    The kayakers were observing nearby seals when the shark appeared, most likely mistaking the bottom of the kayak for a seal's belly.

    On Wednesday, two women were kayaking in Cape Cod Bay in hopes of observing the nearby seals when a great white shark took a bite out of one of their kayaks, and overturned both of them. Because the punctured kayak was sinking, the women made a panicked call for help.

    The kayakers, Ida Parker and Kristin Orr, were uninjured and were rescued about 100 yards off the coast at Manomet Point shortly after calling 911. “The shark had bit through one of their kayaks,” said Assistant Harbor Master Stefan Gustafson, according to The Boston Globe. “Both kayakers were knocked into the water, and one of the kayaks was sinking.”

    Earlier in the day on Wednesday, Gustafon said they received a report from a woman who said she saw a shark eat a seal. Following the shark taking a bit out of the kayak, authorities sent a boat out to search for the shark. Confirmation was given by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries that the shark was in fact a great white that was 12- to 14-feet-long, based on the size of multiple bite marks as well as tooth fragments.

    “Shark sightings have become a more common occurrence during the summer months due to an increasing population of grey seals in the area,” said Kristi Selmi, spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs, according to The Boston Globe.

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