While I love the ocean, I also have a healthy respect (and a little fear) for it. That is because while it is stunning, it also houses some of Earth’s top predators. One such predator is the great white shark. While you can usually enjoy a beach day without bumping into one, your odds definitely increase as soon as you climb on a surfboard and head further out to see. This insane video shows the moment that a great white shark began chasing a foil surfer, and honestly, it is terrifying.
Videos by Outdoors
Great White Shark Chases A Foil Surfer For 10 Miles
Surfer shared some of the details about the terrifying encounter. A foil surfer was “in the midst of a downward trek from Santa Barbara to Carpinteria.” All was going well until his friend noticed something in the waves directly behind him. A 10 to 11-foot great white shark had taken an interest in the foil surfer and began pursuing him.
The insane video footage showed the shark hot on his tail, never giving up the pursuit. Fellow foil surfer Kai Lenny shared the footage on TikTok. He captioned the video with, “Our friend Ron getting chased by a Great White Shark while going Downwind on his foil 😳🦈 Good job on getting the shot Tavis!”
In the video, you can clearly see that ominous dorsal fin pops above the waves as the shark continues to close in on the foil surfer. As the shark continues to speed closer and closer to the surfer, Lenny offers some advice to his friend. “Don’t fall!” he shouts over the wind.
The surfer is clearly giving it his all, evading the great white shark to the best of his ability. The video is 40 seconds of nerve-wracking anticipation and cuts off without a clear resolution. Fortunately, the full clip was shared on YouTube, and all the surfers involved in the incident appear to be okay.
Lenny shared, “After what felt like an eternity for Ron, it finally peeled away in search of something else to play with. We continued the run and made the next 10 miles without falling.”
The Internet Reacts
Most of the comments on the TikTok video shared their surprise at Lenny’s reaction. Various people shared that they thought he did not seem frightened or serious enough, given the direness of the situation. Here are some of the comments left under the video.
- “Why tf are you laughing?!”
- “‘Don’t fall.’ Wow, you give amazing advice.”
- “Why does he sound excited instead of terrified?”
- “Ron needs new friends.”