Fisherman Chased by Great White: “Please Don’t Attack Me”

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Feb 13, 2025 5:44 PM ET

The hunter became the hunted, as seen from a recent fishing expedition in New Zealand. Matt Wells, a Kiwi with a penchant for kayak fishing, was chased down by a very large, very inquisitive great white shark while paddling near Cape Regina, off the northern region of New Zealand’s north island.

And, after an eight-minute cat-and-mouse chase, he got outta there unscathed.

Following the incident, Wells sat down with Today to tell the tale. “I got over it pretty quickly,” Matt tells the hosts. “It’s in the past now, and we’re back out there fishing.” Watch more below.

Starting from the top, here’s Matt’s retelling of what happened:

“I was fishing along the coast of New Zealand for yellowtail kingfish. This particular area is known to hold some pretty big fish. I’ve caught them there in the past. I was just doing my thing. I had a live bait just outside the kayak, just sorta trolling. I was reasonably close to the shore. Quiet day.

“Finally, I saw a bit of a swirl behind the kayak. I thought, ‘oh sweet, there’s a kingfish feeding behind me.’ All of a sudden, the swirl grew in size. Next thing, this shark came out of the blue and swam right up to me.”

Now, Matt seems pretty cool, calm, and collected in recounting the ordeal. But that wasn’t necessarily the case when it was going down. Safe to say he was freaking out – rightfully so.

“I was a bit in shock,” he continued. “There were a lot of emotions hitting at once. I was terrified, shocked, excited, and in awe of the size of the animal. I’d never seen anything like that before.”

On whether he thought he might die?

“It crossed my mind. To be honest, I don’t think it was hunting me. Yes, they can attack you. But they’re a curious animal. Really, I think he was just giving me a fright and having a bit of fun.”

Check out the entire encounter below.