Kayakers Survive Close Encounter With a Shark
The shark's bite marks prove it was a great white, experts say.
— -- Two people kayaking off the Massachusetts coast faced a terrifying close encounter with a shark, and one of their boats has the bite marks to prove it.
Ida Parker and Kristin Orr were in the water near White Horse Beach in Plymouth Wednesday, snapping photos and looking for seals, when they came face-to-face with something much more ominous.
“It was dark gray, pointy nose, big teeth, big eyes … it was like, right next to me,” Parker said. “It was petrifying.”
The kayaks were flipped over, leaving the friends in the water.
"It happened so fast," Orr said. "I was talking to her and the next minute I'm in the water, and I just see a shark biting my kayak."
Parker and Orr were stunned, but not injured, by their shark encounter.
Experts say the bite mark suggests it was a great white.
This summer has seen an uptick in shark sightings, including a great white spotted lurking off Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts, 10 days ago.
Wednesday’s incident stands out, with experts saying great whites aren’t usually aggressive toward people. Parker and Orr aren’t thrilled about being the exception.
“I don’t think I’ll ever kayak again,” Orr said.
“I might,” her friend joked. “Probably not anytime soon.”