WELLFLEET, Mass. – A shark was caught on camera breaching the water directly underneath a researcher who was trying to tag the animal.
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy posted a video on their YouTube page of the close encounter with the great white shark while on a research trip in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.
The video shows the shark suddenly fly out of the water, headed straight for the researcher’s feet, sending him jumping backward.
The boat’s captain can be heard saying, “Holy crap! It dove right out of the water.”
The Boston Globe identified the man who was just inches from the shark’s mouth as a Massachusetts state biologist named Greg Skomal.
“It came right up, and opened its mouth right at my feet!” Skomal yells back to the captain.
The conservancy issued this statement about the video:
“While out on research trips, we’ve seen white sharks breach and we’ve received multiple reports of breaching white sharks this year from fishermen and boaters. While encounters like this one are rare, this video shows that they’re certainly possible. White sharks are wild and unpredictable animals. This is a good reminder of the importance of not becoming complacent and always staying vigilant when in or on the water.”
