A young man is opening up about being chased by a shark while kayaking off the coast of New Zealand.
Matt Wells, 19, was recently fishing alone near Cape Rēinga when he encountered the great white shark, according to The New Zealand Herald.
Using his fishing camera, which he also records YouTube videos on, Wells was able to capture the experience on film. “Please don’t attack me, bro!,” he said in the video.
Speaking with Good Morning America, Wells said the encounter was “a really really cool thing to see, although it may not have seemed like that in the moment.”
“My main worry was that the shark is inquisitive and that he might decide that ‘Hey, what’s this? Let’s give it a taste,’ ” he explained.
In the actual video, Wells also apologized for his expletive-laden reaction while still attempting to evade the predator. He exclaimed, “Its main food source is marine mammals, and I’m a marine mammal right now!”
In order to escape, Wells had to paddle 2.5 miles back to shore, according to GMA. At one point, he even tried to distract the shark by throwing a bottle at it.
Despite the attempt, Wells said the “very curious shark” kept “playing around with me” until he reached safety.
“It was terrifying in the moment, but in reflection, I’m kind of thoughtfully gracious that I did get to have that experience,” the young man told the Herald. “It’s not something many people will get in their life.”
He added, “You have to be grateful for that much, especially getting out of it completely unharmed with a good story to tell.”
But the close encounter has not stopped Wells from returning to the water. He went back out the next day, and has been out several times since.
“I think it’s just broadened my appreciation for the ocean,” he told GMA. “It definitely got the adrenaline up, but it was quite the experience and I’m quite glad that I had it.”
This article by Abigail Adams was first published by People.com on 13 February 2025. Lead Image: Matt Wells.
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