Kayaker talks about fame after shark encounter

ORLEANS, Mass. (WHDH) -- Cameras captured a kayaker’s close encounter with a shark at Nauset Beach in Orleans over the weekend, now that man is talking about all the worldwide attention he’s received.

Walter Szulc is still struck when he looks at the frightening photo of himself frantically paddling away on a kayak from a great white shark.

“It was surreal it its own right and I was almost up above looking down at the situation at hand. It freaked me out,” said Szulc.

He got away unhurt. After speaking with 7News on Saturday, he is now getting worldwide attention.

“My cellphone battery doesn’t have enough juice. Non-stop cell phone calls, interviews left and right. It’s been fine, actually, I’ve kind of been enjoying it -- my five minutes of fame,” said Szulc.

“It made the headline news in Sweden as well,” said Lena Lundqvist, who is vacationing on the Cape from Sweden. “It was in the major newspaper.”

Last Tuesday there was another shark sighting in the murky waters off of Chatham. Mike Balboni of North Attleboro was fishing with friends when they spotted a great white shark.

Balboni grabbed an underwater camera he had on board and got a shot of the shark. He said the shark was almost as large as his 22-foot boat.

“We were able to get a nice shot of the tail section of the shark underwater,” said Balboni. “The adrenaline was pumping.”

Despite the recent shark sightings there wasn’t a shortage of swimmers at Nauset Beach on Monday.

The Lundqvist family did go swimming, but they canceled their surfing lessons just to be safe.

“If you come the whole way from Sweden you don’t want to be eaten by a shark,” said Lundqvist.

Szulc was swimming on Monday, too, but he said he doesn’t think he’ll be doing anymore kayaking in deep waters.