Combat-based deterrence for large predators

Right now, fighting big sea creatures doesn’t really change anything — they don’t deal much damage, so encounters feel more like an annoyance than a real threat, and the only alternatives are hiding or just tanking the hits.
I’d love to see a system where successfully fighting off a large predator makes it flee the combat area for a random, fairly long duration (something like 5 to 15 minutes). This would give players a real reward for standing their ground: a temporary sense of safety to farm resources in that zone, instead of just avoiding the creature altogether.
I think this would massively improve immersion and tension — knowing the predator will eventually come back, but not knowing exactly when, keeps that low-grade stress alive even after you’ve “won” the fight. It turns combat into something meaningful rather than a damage check, while still keeping the underlying fear/respect for these animals intact.