Sharks and kayaks off LA coast

Woman Has Close Encounter With Shark Off Catalina

LOS ANGELES A woman kayaking off the Catalina isthmus had a close encounter with a shark this weekend, according to a broadcast report.

Bettina Pereira was in an area she has frequented for years when a shark bumped her kayak, KCAL9 reported.

"My first thought was, "Wow, was that a whale?"' Pereira told KCAL.

"I couldn't believe it and all of a sudden when I seen the fin I realized this is not a whale -- this is a shark. By the time I thought that ... the shark was already cruising under me and lifting the kayak up with its body, and I landed out of the kayak right onto the shark's body."

Pereira's son told her husband a shark was attacking her, but the shark swam away and Pereira started swimming toward the shore, KCAL9 reported.

Two men in a boat pulled up and helped her to the shore.

http://cbs2.com/local/shark.catalina.attack.2.754368.html

Yikes!

If it was big enough to lift the kayak out of the water, was it a whale shark?

man that would get ur heart moving 

 I'd be in trouble for sure......
I have relief zipper in the front of my wetsuit, but not the back!
HOLY CRAP!

If it was big enough to lift the kayak out of the water, was it a whale shark?

From reports it looks like it was a GWS.

Bsteves found this off of bloodydecks.com. Check out comments by Karlo & JT Money.
http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/inshore-islands-fishing-reports-southern-california-usa/109453-topless-sat.html

GWS have plenty of mass to chuck people, yaks, surfboards etc. around. BTW whale sharks are plankton feeders and usually don't mess w/ people.

Z

If she threw a gaff in it while she was on its back, is that considered a legal catch?