A fisherman who was kayaking in Cockburn Sound came close to a shark – and caught the whole thing on camera.
Michael Robertson was trying his luck in the area, and got a surprise when the shark – possibly a great white – followed him. It was eventually deterred by his shark shield, a portable electronic device designed to repel sharks using and electromagnetic field, but not before the whole thing was caught on camera.
The fisherman posted the clip on YouTube, and described the day’s events as a fishing trip “cut short by an unexpected visitor”. He wrote: “I had just lost a good sized Pink Snapper when I heard a large splash behind me, when I turned around I was greeted by a 4m shark.
“I’m no expert but it’s most likely a great white. It followed me for about two or three minutes and disappeared when it came within range of my shark shield.”
But when he dipped the camera back into the water to get a look, the shark had gone, leaving him concerned that it would come back: “Now that I can’t see him, I’m worried. It’s pretty big.”
Michael told Perth Now that he had chosen to go to Cockburn South purposely so avoid another spot where a great white was seen, but was led straight into the danger zone. He said that, whilst he appeared calm, he was actually quite the opposite:
“I was thinking he could take a bite and take the whole front off if he wanted.”
