See A Great White Leap From The Water and Almost Hit a Child In Cape Cod

A family innocently fishing got the shock of their life on Cape Cod. A great white shark leaped out of the water directly in front of a young boy, almost striking him. The kicker? It was all caught on video.

A group of fathers and sons were out for the predictable type of fishing trip you’d expect, though they got more than they bargained for. The shark stole a fish from the young boy’s line and dove into the water, swimming away with its prey.

Check Out the Moment This Family Encounters a Leaping Great White

The video starts with a wide shot of three boys fishing and a parent helping to reel in a line. The camera comes in a little closer, watching the fish get reeled in. The camera pulls back, supposedly to give them space to bring in the fish when something else pops up.

A great white shark makes an appearance, zooming upward and snatching the child’s catch away from him. The camera attempts to go in closer while everyone else screams and runs away. Only the shark’s spin and tailfin are caught on camera, but it is still something to behold.

Witnessing a great white shark steal your fish would be enough to shake up anyone, yet these kids handled it well. Sharks don’t just eat seals; they also eat fish, so it’s possible that you and a shark could have the same fish in your sights.

Great White Sharks 

Back in 2019, when this took place, there were a recorded 150 sightings of great white sharks in Cape Cod Bay and Massachusetts waters. Recent summers have shown an uptick in sightings of the apex predators, which keeps swimmers at bay in the local area. 

With both seals and sharks being protected species in Massachusetts, the shark population has simply been thriving in recent years.

The Florida Museum of Natural History has a shark attack database that compares past and new trends when it comes to shark attacks. This database says that the great white shark has been responsible for 80 unprovoked shark fatalities.

What this means is at least 80 separate times, great white sharks were the aggressor in a situation with a person where they ended up killing them. For perspective, an estimated 81,000 to 138,000 people die from snake bites worldwide each year. Yes, shark attacks happen, but compared to other animals they are extremely rare.

The media has done a disservice to the great white shark as a whole. They depict the sharks as vile, dangerous, aggressive animals when they are only as aggressive as they need to be.

The great white shark gets aggressive to defend its territory, so it will strike if it perceives you as a threat. They also do not see very well and can get confused and take a bite to see if something is edible. It’s not their fault their bites are so big and dangerous.

Great white sharks are seeking prey, yes, but not human prey. They want fresh seals or fish and may just snatch it away from you in the process.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Alexyz3d/Shutterstock.com