CAPE COD — In a scene straight out of Jaws, a great white shark was caught on video leaping out of the water to snatch a fish off the line during a family’s fishing trip in Cape Cod.
Cue the creepy theme song!
Perfectly timed to coincide with ‘Shark Week’, the too-close-for-comfort encounter, which took place onboard the Columbia Sportfishing vessel earlier this month, was filmed by Doug Nelson of Franklin, Mass. In the video, a crew member is seen pulling in a freshly caught fish from the water when all of a sudden a shark breaks through the surface and snatches the day’s catch right out from under her.
Shocked cries can be heard, with Nelson excitedly announcing he caught the whole thing on video. His son, Jack, can also be seen jumping back in complete surprise.
Incredible footage today from Doug Nelson of Franklin, MA fishing aboard the Columbia out of Rock Harbor in Orleans. @MA_Sharks pic.twitter.com/rK3yk5j6SG
— Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (@A_WhiteShark) July 20, 2019
Credit: Doug Nelson
“It gave us a pretty good scare,” Nelson told New England Cable News.
The shark has since been confirmed by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy in Cape Cod as a great white.
The boat’s captain, Marc Costa, told the Cape Cod Times that the shark made actual contact with the boat after swimming away with the bass.
Could a sequel to Jaws be in the works?
According to the Guardian, the waters off Cape Cod have seen a resurgence of great white sharks in recent years due to federal protections meant to boost seal populations.