See a Great White Shark Sneak Up on a Surfer and Land an Epic Photobomb

Key Points

• During the beloved San Onofre Surf Club contest of 2022, an uninvited guest makes an appearance. 
• A shark was seen by photographer Jordan Anast throwing its body out of the ocean.
• When breaching, great white sharks can rise up to 10 feet above the surface.

There are surfing contests held all over the world every year where skilled surfers hope for incredible swells to show off their impressive skills. During the beloved San Onofre Surf Club contest of 2022, an uninvited guest makes an appearance. 

Behind a surfer, a shark was seen by photographer Jordan Anast throwing its body out of the ocean. The yearly San Onofre Surf Club event outside San Diego was being photographed that weekend by Anast, who typically photographs surf events on the weekends.

It’s not entirely uncommon for sharks to do this. When these large beasts toss their entire body out of the water it’s called breaching. The first picture in his photo collection shows surfer Tyler Warren riding on his surfboard and surfing a wave into shore. 

There is a bright blue sky behind him. The sky in the following photo is partially blocked by a huge fish that is photobombing it. Little did they know it was a hungry shark! The shark’s gloomy grey body and fins sparkle beneath the strong California sun as it stands totally out of the water with its nose pointing to the sky. 

Warren doesn’t appear to be cognizant of the shark’s ascent into the air behind him the entire time. As Warren approaches the shore, the series of photographs continues to show the shark reentering the ocean like an old-school flip book. 

Why Do Sharks Breach?

White Sharks’ breaching actions are well-known. They do this to capture swiftly moving prey like seals. Sharks have to move considerably more quickly to catch their prey. They swim swiftly and straight toward the surface when breaching. According to the Smithsonian, Great Whites may breach at up to 40 miles per hour when swimming. 

Great white sharks and people both have distinctive characteristics with various qualities and flaws as well as various views, habits, and interests. When hunting seals, certain great white sharks may be particularly skilled at airborne ambush breaches while other sharks may not be.

Nevertheless, all of that requires a significant amount of energy, therefore they only engage in it when they have to go hunting. When breaching, great white sharks can rise up to 10 feet above the surface. 

When scientists set up decoys to lure and observe Great White Sharks, these remarkable feats are occasionally captured on camera. In California, it’s not uncommon to see Great White Sharks. 

They might employ various strategies, such as under ambush hunting or making the most of low light and poor sight to trap seals more effectively. Researchers are only beginning to scratch the surface when it comes to great white shark hunting habits, but what we do know is that each subpopulation of great white sharks has its own distinctive hunting strategies and social norms.

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