Is This a Real-Life ‘Jaws’ Situation?

Jaws is still heralded today as one of the greatest creature feature horror movies ever made. Steven Spielberg struck gold when he created a narrative surrounding one of the world’s most misunderstood apex predators. Sharks are scary, but great whites evoke next-level terror in swimmers. At more than 20 feet long, the larger-than-life shark from Jaws was famous for its ability to tail the Orca fishing boat. This seemed like a fictional behavior—until the same thing happened in May 2025 off Block Island.

“There’s a Shark in the Pond!”

In late May, diners at a restaurant overlooking Great Salt Pond witnessed something highly unusual. As a small motorboat picked up speed across the water, something began tailing it. Two dorsal fins popped out of the water, revealing an exceptionally large fish. Onlookers quickly realized the animal was a shark, with one quoting Jaws, yelling, “There’s a shark in the pond!” The entire event was recorded, and it drew eerie comparisons to one of Hollywood’s most famous films. In the movie Jaws, Chief Brody warns beachgoers of high shark activity, only for the shark in question to make its way into the small pond near the beach. Thankfully, no one was hurt during the incident at Great Salt Pond, but it has raised one question: did Jaws pose a realistic scenario?

A Real-Life Jaws Situation

The shark spotted following a boat in Great Salt Pond was big, but not Jaws big. Experts estimated that Block Island’s curious shark was roughly 20 feet long. While this is impressive, it’s not even close to the fictional villain in the movie. That shark was portrayed as being at least 25 feet long, and no real-life shark has ever been recorded as being that large. Secondly, the shark in Great Salt Pond was confirmed to be a basking shark. Believe it or not, 20 feet is a relatively small measurement for this species, which can grow up to 40 feet in length. Although this shark was a full-grown adult, it may continue to grow as it ages.

While the great white shark in Jaws was a significant threat to humans, basking sharks pose no threat at all. Their intimidating size means nothing compared to their docile nature. This is a filter-feeding species, meaning its diet consists primarily of plankton. They don’t pose any threat to humans and have never been known to act aggressively. While the video of this shark is unnerving, the boaters on the water had nothing to fear. One Instagram user even referred to the shark as a “gentle giant.” According to the Atlantic Shark Institute, basking sharks are not uncommon in the waters around Rhode Island. However, finding one in a smaller pond is unusual.

Why Sharks Are Drawn to Boats

The basking shark’s surprise visit to Block Island was likely a fluke. Even so, Jaws may hold a shred of truth when it comes to sharks following boats. The movie portrayed a feral, vicious animal that would stop at nothing to satiate its bloodlust. In reality, sharks operate purely on instinct. They’re well-attuned to specific frequencies in the water, many of which emanate from boat motors. Sharks can detect electrical fields and often follow low-frequency sounds in search of food. This is one explanation for why some might follow boats.

Another reason a shark might tail a boat is due to learned behavior. Some sharks might become accustomed to equating boats with food. If people are chumming or fishing at shark feeding grounds, sharks can become conditioned to associate boats with food. Sharks can be conditioned to associate a boat with an easy meal, which can encourage abnormal behavior. Since the species is susceptible to electrical signals and frequencies in the water, certain sights and sounds can reinforce this sensitivity. Similar to how bears follow the scent of food left behind by campers, sharks follow the smell of blood. Animals that are injured, in distress, or dead can all attract nearby sharks.

Could Jaws Ever Happen?

In short, the answer is not likely. Sharks would need to undergo a significant evolutionary change to hunt humans and learn to track them. In the case of the Great Salt Pond basking shark, the situation was a harmless but unique event to witness. Experts surmise the shark probably found its way out not long after being filmed. Sharks in any small body of water are uncommon, and they often stick to their known feeding grounds. A desperate or curious shark might display bold behavior, but even this is rare.

While great whites are heavily associated with shark attacks, they’re not the only ones. Bull and tiger sharks have also attacked humans, meaning Jaws is not a one-size-fits-all scenario. In every case, it’s determined that the shark is either mistaken, confused, or actively hunting. Often, it is human error that leads to incidents, especially when people enter environments where sharks are present.