Surfer opens up about terrifying fight with a tiger shark in Waikiki

Chaos erupted at Waikiki Beach (Hawaii) after a tiger shark attacked surfer Mather White. A Surfline camera captured White fighting for his life as he struggled to fend off the notorious sea predator.

According to Surfer Magazine, the attack involved "an aggressive eight-foot tiger shark", (2.4 meters) which induced panic at the surf spot called Old Man's.

Image Source: Screenshot – YouTube @KHON2

The footage of the accident shows White fighting the shark with his own hands before getting back onto his board. The Hawaiin surfer made it back to shore without a scratch.

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"I was like halfway on the board trying to hold on and it just kept shaking the board. So I fell off the board. And then I was lying on the side of the shark. I could see its dorsal fin right by me. I had my hand and my knee on it. I didn't know what to do," White told KHON2 News.

Amid the confusion, the Hawaiin surfer chose to knee and shove the giant shark away from his board. "I was looking at my leg, looking for blood. I just couldn't believe I didn't get bit. I was just in shock and disbelief that I didn't get injured somehow.  I was terrified. It took me by surprise," added White during the KHON2 News interview.

Image Source: Screenshot – YouTube @KHON2

While escaping injury-free, the eight-foot tiger shark left a giant bite mark on the surfboard, as a friendly souvenir. "In 30 years of surfing, I have never encountered a shark", shared White with the local news outlet.

It was a very close call for yet another Oahu surfer. Last year alone in 2023, Hawaii reported a total of 8 shark attacks, resulting in one fatality; Jason Carter, who lost his life while surfing in Maui. According to American Surfing Magazine, over the past 40 years, there have been a total of 176 shark incidents registered in Hawaii.

The ocean is deeply intertwined with Hawaiian culture. There is a god associated with sharks known as Kamohoali'i, believed to swim near the islands of Maui and Kaho'olawe.

According to American Surf Magazine sharks hold a significant religious and spiritual importance to many Native Islander cultures such as the Hawaiians, who believe that sharks symbolize strength, protection, and cultural significance.

National Geographic estimates there are over 40 shark species that live near the Hawaiian Islands. The most common species are Tiger sharks, Black Tip Reef sharks, Sandbar sharks, Hammerhead sharks, and Galapagos sharks.

Thanks to Hollywood, when we think of sharks we picture a Great White breaking out of the water, mauling everything in their way, yet it is very far from the truth...

Nevertheless, shark experts argue the most dangerous species are the Tiger sharks due to their aggressive nature. Moreover, we rarely see Great White sharks in Hawaiian waters, they prefer Californian shores.

Bethany Hamilton survived a brutal Tiger shark attack on October 31st, 2003. The Hawaiian surfer lost her arms to a 14 ft (4.2 meters) aquatic serial killer. Hamilton was extremely lucky to survive the attack after losing 60% of her blood.

Why are there so many sharks patrolling Hawaiian waters? Well, scientists have recently been tracking this mysterious ocean void called the 'white shark cafe', a remote zone in the middle of the Pacific Ocean where sharks congregate annually.

"It's the largest migration of animals on Earth, a vertical migration that is timed with the light cycle," Salvador Jorgensen told Vice News.

In 2016, UNESCO's World Heritage Center and the International Union of Conservation of Nature recommended that the white shark cafe be designated a World Heritage site due to its biological importance.

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