A California surfer is opening up about a terrifying encounter that sounds like something straight out of a movie—except it actually happened.
Ron Takeda was out riding the waves between UC Santa Barbara and Carpinteria on April 25 when things suddenly took a dark turn. He was cruising on a hydrofoil board—designed to glide fast above the water—when he realized he wasn’t alone.
In a video shared online, Takeda’s friend can be heard shouting, “Don’t fall!” and “Go, go, go!” as something massive moved through the water behind him.
At first, Takeda thought he was dragging seaweed. But when he looked back again, the reality hit.
“I saw a big, dark, torpedo-shaped figure trailing me,” he later wrote, describing the chilling moment he realized a shark was locked onto him.
The pair believe it was a great white—and it didn’t just pass by.
Takeda says the shark followed him for nearly 10 minutes, aggressively keeping pace and even swimming underneath his board at one point. He described hearing splashing and thrashing behind him the entire time.
“It was relentless,” he said, adding that the shark seemed determined and wasn’t backing off.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:
Encounters like this aren’t unheard of in Southern California waters. Experts say the coastline near Santa Barbara is a hotspot for juvenile great white sharks, especially as ocean temperatures rise.
Still, moments like this are enough to shake even experienced surfers.
Thankfully, the terrifying chase eventually ended without injury. The shark peeled away, and Takeda and his friend continued their ride—covering another 12 miles after the encounter.
But the experience clearly left a mark.
“A memorable run for sure,” he said. “But it’s not something you want to be thinking about when you’re miles offshore.”
While shark sightings may be increasing due to warmer waters, experts stress that attacks remain rare—and most encounters are believed to be exploratory rather than intentional.
That said, for Takeda, this was one close call he won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
What's Up Team