A fisherman kayaking about a mile off the coast of Cambria, California, was thrown into the water Monday morning after something struck the underside of his kayak — an encounter fire officials say was likely a shark.
The Cambria Fire Department said the incident happened near Leffingwell Landing around 9:30 a.m. The impact knocked the man off his kayak, but he climbed back aboard and began paddling toward shore. Punctures in the hull let water pour in, and the kayak became too damaged to stay afloat, forcing him to swim the remaining distance to land himself.
He reached shore uninjured. Firefighters responded once he was safely on land and launched a rescue boat to retrieve the wrecked kayak along with his fishing gear and other belongings.
Dr. Chris Lowe of California State University, Long Beach’s Shark Lab reviewed photos of the damage and told the fire department it was reasonable to suspect a shark caused it. Officials have not confirmed that definitively, and no shark was seen.
Not the First Time at This Spot
Leffingwell Landing has been the site of similar encounters before. In May 2012, a shark struck fisherman Joey Nocchi’s kayak in the same area, throwing him into the water and damaging the vessel; he was not injured, according to California Department of Fish and Wildlife records and contemporaneous reports.
In 2019, fisherman David Zamora reported that a roughly 10-foot great white shark bit his kayak about two miles offshore from Leffingwell Landing, according to local news outlet KSBY. Zamora was thrown into the water but climbed back onto his kayak before a nearby boater pulled him to safety. He, too, escaped without injury.
The Bigger Picture
California has logged 233 shark incidents since 1950, 36 of them involving kayaks or canoes, according to Department of Fish and Wildlife figures updated in January 2026. Those records count any contact between a shark and equipment like kayaks or surfboards, regardless of whether anyone was hurt.
State wildlife officials note that some encounters with white sharks may be exploratory — the animal investigating an unfamiliar object rather than hunting a person. That distinction doesn’t eliminate the danger, but it does complicate the narrative of a targeted attack.
Following Monday’s incident, the Cambria Fire Department urged people on the water to stay alert, use added caution, and avoid entering the ocean when sharks are visibly present. Anyone facing an immediate emergency, the department said, should call 911.
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