Maui, Hawaii shark attack horror: Couple recount terrifying tiger shark encounter off Olowalu coast

As shark attacks dominate headlines following two fatal incidents in Australia, a Maui couple has detailed a terrifying encounter with a tiger shark they say latched onto their kayak.

Cheslei Akima and Alika Dickerson were kayaking off Olowalu on Maui’s West Coast on Saturday afternoon when what began as a routine paddle turned into a frightening battle with one of Hawaii’s most feared marine predators.

The pair told Hawaii News Now they were about a mile offshore when they noticed movement in the water ahead of them.

Ms Akima said the encounter unfolded without warning.

“I’m thinking to myself, ‘What is that?’ And then it starts coming at us,” she said.

Moments later, the couple realised they were dealing with a tiger shark, a species identifiable by its grey striped markings and considered among the most dangerous sharks in Hawaiian waters.

According to the pair, the animal appeared longer than their 12-foot kayak.

The shark then allegedly clamped onto the vessel and began violently shaking it.

“He wouldn’t let go,” Ms Akima said.

Mr Dickerson said he struck the shark in an effort to free the kayak, but the first blows had little effect.

“On the third time, it finally let go. It sank down a little bit and just splashed us with its tail, swimming away,” he told the outlet. “I was in shock.”

The couple quickly paddled back to shore, later discovering visible bite marks left on the kayak.

“It was just so crazy,” Ms Akima said.

The frightening encounter comes amid renewed public attention on shark incidents after two fatal attacks in Australian waters in the past week.

Father-of-two Steven ‘Mattas’ Mattaboni, 38, was killed by a great white shark near Rottnest Island off Western Australia on May 16 while out with friends.

His friends were spotted consoling each other shortly afterwards, having witnessed the entire attack before retrieving his body from the water and performing CPR.

Mr Mattaboni’s wife, Shirene, described him as “fiercely loyal, endlessly generous, and the kind of man who would give you the shirt off his back” in a heartbreaking statement.

“Our hearts are irrevocably broken by the loss of Steven, known affectionately to his mates as ‘Mattas’,” she said per The West Australian.

“The world has lost a truly one-of-a-kind gentleman, and our daughters have lost an incredible father far too soon.”

Days later, a man died after a shark attack off Far North Queensland near Kennedy Shoal.

The 39-year-old was rushed by boat to the Hull River Heads boat ramp near Tully Heads — about 120km south of Cairns — where paramedics were waiting from him around 12pm on Sunday.

“The man was retrieved from the water and died from his injuries,” a police spokesperson said.

While shark incidents remain relatively uncommon in Hawaii, authorities say tiger sharks are involved in many of the state’s most dangerous encounters.

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources says tiger sharks are found near all major islands and are often drawn to areas frequented by fishing activity.

“Tigers are considered the most dangerous sharks in Hawaiian waters,” the agency states.

“Because of their size and feeding habits, tigers occupy the very top niche in inshore feeding relationships.”

Researchers from the University of Hawaii have also identified Olowalu as a mating hub for tiger sharks.

Despite the ordeal, Ms Akima and Mr Dickerson say they are not staying out of the water.

“Gotta get back,” Mr Dickerson said.

“We’re actually determined to go back this weekend,” Ms Akima added.