Someone notify Chief Brody: Over the weekend, a Massachusetts man captured a quick video of a great white shark circling his boat near the coast.
Michael Lemire was out bass fishing with some family in relatively shallow water off the coast of Plum Island Beach, when he caught the video of what he believed as a small baby great white shark.
According to local outlet Boston 25 News, Lemire was on the boat with his father, brother and nephew. The group were only in water about 20 feet deep.
Lemire told Newsweek that his family were more curious than afraid when they spotted the shark. "We were fishing, and it started circling," he said. "So, you're intrigued of what it is more than anything. I think our group is pretty comfortable on the water."
Having grown up in the area, Lemire said he knew about sharks in the area, but said that seeing a great white was still an out-of-the-ordinary experience. "I'm well aware that in the ocean we have sharks. We're pretty knowledgeable. We're not experts by any means, but looking we're like, 'That looks like a great white shark,'" he said. "That was the big surprise for us: the rarity of actually seeing a great white."
The shark was later confirmed by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy as a great white, in a Facebook post. "This is a good reminder that white sharks occur throughout Massachusetts waters, not just off the coast of Cape Cod," the organization said in its Tuesday post.
Lemire said that while he's sure local fishermen see great whites, it's noteworthy that he was able to get such good video that the footage could be verified by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. "There are fisherman and lobsterman who definitely see them—no doubt about that—up in our area," he said. "The guys who are out there every day certainly see them. I think me actually being able to get a decent video where it was able to be confirmed was rare."
Despite Lemire and his family being relatively close to shore, he said that the video shouldn't worry beachgoers, but they should take the proper safety measures knowing that there are sharks in the area."Be aware of your surroundings. This footage is good for people to know that they are pushing north. I didn't post it for people to panic. I just think—like anything else—knowledge is power. If you're aware that they're there, you take the proper precautions and just be smart about the choices you make," he said.
In all, Lemire regards the day as a success. "There were three generations of my family on the boat," he said. "We had a really good day and came back with a really good fishing story and came back with a video to prove it."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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