A kayaker fishing off the shore of Gaviota State Beach near Santa Barbara, Calif., is lucky to be alive after defending himself against a hammerhead shark pursuing him on Sept. 19, 2015.
The kayaker, Mark McCracken, a construction worker, uploaded video to YouTube and Instagram in 2015 which has gone viral showing him struggling to fight off the hostile predator.
In the video, McCracken reacts to the hammerhead shark creeping up behind by smacking it with his paddle every time it got close.
The shark continued to stalk McCracken, encircling his prey waiting for opportunities to strike – every attempt denied with a swift beating from McCracken’s paddle.
“He’s not leaving, he’s still here,” McCracken groaned, exhausted from fighting off the shark. “He does not like me at all.”
McCracken races towards the shore after reeling in his fishing lines, vigilant that the next attack could come at any time.
“Pretty sure I just kicked a hammerhead’s a**,” McCracken laughed as he gets close to the shore. “I just beat up a shark — how was your day?”
The relieved kayaker celebrated prematurely as the shark takes one last shot at turning McCracken into its next meal.
It wasn’t until McCracken was safely on shore that he breathed a sigh of relief.
“Can’t get me now, buddy!” McCracken taunted the shark.
The hammerhead shark refused to give up stalking McCracken even after he was safely on dry land.
“He’s still out there,” McCracken said, as the shark swam in shallow water.
The struggle went on for almost 15 minutes before McCracken made it to shore.