Two foil surfers were cruising down the California coast near Santa Barbara when a massive great white shark decided to ride the waves with them — and the heart-pounding moment was caught on camera.
Kai Lenny and Ron Takeda were out on a 20-mile downwind foil run from Santa Barbara to Carpinteria when one of the world's fiercest predators joined in on the fun. Foil surfing is different than traditional surfing in that you're not looking to catch a gnarly wave, but instead, ride long distances by utilizing wind swells, or little bumps in the ocean.
The video Lenny captured shows the horrifying moment when they realized the shark was chasing Takeda. However, Lenny seems almost unfazed as he calmly yells, "Don't fall."
The video shows Lenny pumping through the water for a moment before kneeling down on his board, all while cheering on Takeda. "Run! Go! Go! … Don't stop! Go, go, go!" Lenny hollers out as the familiar fin of the shark follows Takeda off in the distance.
In the video's caption, Lenny explained what happened: "Ron Takeda and I buzzed over a shark. This triggered an intense curiosity, and the shark followed Ron closely for over two miles … He turned left, it turned left. He sped up, it sped up. It was a full game of cat and mouse, but with a 10-11 ft shark."
After about 10 to 12 minutes, Lenny said that the shark finally peeled off, and the two surfers finished the last 10 miles of their ride. "Ron performed amazingly under pressure and kept his cool for all of those minutes while being chased," Lenny added.
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While it's not super common, encountering sharks is one of the risks associated with surfing. However, the odds have increased this spring along the California coast due to a massive marine heat wave in the Pacific Ocean.
Most of us land-dwelling creatures have been concerned about the weather impacts of the 5,000-mile stretch of unusually warm water, such as fluctuating temperatures, intense storms, and hurricanes. However, it's also having a direct impact on marine life.
Shark sightings have increased, with great whites being spotted circling surfers in Newport Beach, off the Hermosa Beach Pier, and during a surf competition in Huntington Beach, which was postponed due to a 10-foot shark lurking in the water.
It's rare for great whites to be cruising this close to the coastline this time of year. Chris Lowe, the director of Cal State Long Beach's Shark Lab, told SFGATE that female sharks are typically returning open ocean migrations this time of year to give birth near Southern California, but this year is different.
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"What made this year unusual is that we started seeing newborns in February, which is really early. Normally, it starts in April and peaks in July," Lowe told SFGATE.
While being chased by a great white shark is most people's worst nightmare, Lenny was pretty chill about the encounter. "It is a big ocean out there and a good reminder for how wild nature can be," the surfer wrote. "Sharks are cool animals. If you treat them with respect, they will leave you alone. If you glide over them, they may become curious."
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