A fisherman had to swim to shore off Cambria after something slammed into the underside of his kayak about a mile from Leffingwell Landing, flipping the vessel and dumping him into the Pacific. He climbed back aboard, but punctures in the hull let water pour in, forcing him to abandon the kayak and swim the rest of the way in. He walked away uninjured.
The incident unfolded around 9:30 a.m. on Monday, according to sanluisobispo.com, which reported that the man felt something strike his boat from underneath before he was knocked into the water. The New York Post likewise described a shark knocking the fisherman off his kayak about a mile off the San Luis Obispo County coast. Cambria Fire Department personnel responded and helped recover the kayak, his fishing gear and his personal belongings.
Shark Involvement Suspected, Not Confirmed
Officials have stopped short of confirming a shark was responsible, with the outlet noting that shark involvement remains suspected rather than verified. Chris Lowe, director of the CSU Long Beach Shark Lab, reviewed photographs of the kayak's damage and said it was reasonable to assume the kayak had been struck by a shark, per the same account. The Cambria Fire Department urged people to exercise additional caution, stay aware of their surroundings, and avoid entering the water near visible shark activity in the Leffingwell Landing area.
As reported by KSBY, the man reported that something struck the underside of his kayak, capsizing it and knocking him into the water about a mile offshore. The station's account aligns with the fire department's description of the man swimming ashore after his kayak began taking on water through the punctures in its hull.
A Familiar Scare Along This Stretch of Coast
This is not the first time a kayaker has reported being thrown into the water near Leffingwell Landing. In October 2019, a kayaker in the same area said a large shark knocked him into the water; he was not hurt, but authorities could not immediately confirm whether a shark or another marine mammal had caused the disturbance, according to sanluisobispo.com's earlier coverage.
Further back, in May 2012, Paso Robles fisherman Joey Nocchi was fishing near Leffingwell Landing off Moonstone Beach when a great white shark struck and overturned his kayak, per sanluisobispo.com's reporting at the time. His fishing companions estimated the shark at 12 to 14 feet long, and the bite left a hole in the kayak roughly 20 inches long and more than 22 inches wide. The very next day, another Paso Robles kayaker, George Sanderson, had to be rescued after his own kayak took on water about five miles south of San Simeon Beach.
Not an Isolated California Incident
Monday's scare also comes amid a string of reported shark encounters elsewhere along the California coast. Earlier this month, a kayaker fishing about two miles off Paradise Cove in Malibu was reportedly bitten twice by a shortfin mako shark and knocked off his boat after his hook caught the animal around 7:30 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Times. That same report noted that shark sightings along the coast have surged in recent months.
Farther north in Pacific Grove, authorities warned swimmers and surfers to avoid Lovers Point Beach after reports of shark activity on October 23, according to seed reporting. The Pacific Grove Police Department said the recommendation followed reports that a seal had been bitten and blood was spotted in the water. No injuries to a person were reported in that advisory.
