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Forbes
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Jaws Anniversary Coincides With Real-Life Shark Sighting In Rhode Island
Basking sharks, despite their size, pose no threat to humans. They have tiny teeth, no interest in ... More large prey, and spend most of their time following plankton blooms. Just in time for the 50th anniversary of 'Jaws,' a real-life shark sighting had New Englanders channeling their best 'shahk in the pawnd' impressions this week. The moment unfolded at the end of last month near Block Island, Rhode Island; it was here, in the calm waters of the Great Salt Pond, that diners enjoying a seafood meal at Dead Eye Dick's spotted something unusual slicing through the surface. A pair of unmistakable dorsal fins. Phones came out, videos were taken, and soon even the NGO Atlantic Shark Institute was sharing the footage of the sizable animal online. The organization, which monitors shark activity throughout the region, joked about the parallel to the infamous movie and invited the public to guess what kind of shark had found its way into the sheltered saltwater lagoon. Speculation quickly flooded the comments. Guesses ranged from great whites to sand tigers to makos. But the truth was far less dramatic and dangerous. In the video, the silhouette looked imposing, and anyone unfamiliar with shark species could understandably assume it was something dangerous. The shark, as confirmed later by the institute's executive director Jon Dodd, was a basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus). Enormous, yes, as they are the second largest fish in the ocean after the whale shark. But dangerous? Not quite. They're filter-feeders, cruising through the ocean with mouths wide open to scoop up plankton, not people. A 20-foot basking shark made an unexpected appearance in Rhode Island's Great Salt Pond, stirring ... More memories of Jaws but posing no danger. The one in the Great Salt Pond was around 20 feet long (just over 6 meters), making it relatively modest for its species, which can grow over 40 feet (12 meters) in length. Still, seeing an animal that size in a place where people typically kayak, swim, and anchor boats is enough to give anyone pause. 'The size of these sharks, the height of the dorsal fin, and how they move can be a real attention getter!' said Dodd to a local outlet. 'They can look quite a bit like a great white shark at a glance, or from distance, and that can put people into a panic and justifiably so based on where you might be at the time (think in the water!)' Basking sharks, despite their size, pose no threat to humans. They have tiny teeth, no interest in large prey, and spend most of their time following plankton blooms. And yes, they can look eerily similar to great white sharks, especially if your only reference is the iconic 1975 Spielberg film. 'The good news? They've never been implicated in any bite on a human being, as noted in the International Shark Attack File. They are endangered in some parts of the world and considered 'vulnerable' here in the U.S.,' ASI explained. While the scene may have triggered some instinctive unease, experts were quick to clarify there was no cause for concern. 'Sharks are arriving in Rhode Island daily,' the Atlantic Shark Institute continued in a Facebook post, 'as water temperatures continue to rise and more and more species of shark find them suitable to their liking.' This is part of a larger trend tied to climate change and warming ocean temperatures, which are shifting where marine animals spend their time during the summer months. It's no surprise then that basking sharks, which are normally seen off the coast in deeper waters, are making occasional detours into shallower inlets like Great Salt Pond. Fortunately for any nervous swimmers, the shark didn't linger. By the next day, it had likely found its way back out to open water, leaving only ripples (and viral footage) in its wake. As we mark the anniversary of 'Jaws,' it's worth recognizing how far we have come as a society. Fifty years ago, a scene like this might have ended in alarm and calls for the removal of the individual (likely leading to a grim end for the shark in question). Today, it ends with a Facebook post, a science lesson, and a bit of local pride. After all, not every summer hotspot gets a visit from one of the ocean's true giants.
Daily Mirror
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Terrifying moment massive shark trails boat as onlooker screams line from Jaws
Footage shows two people in a small boat at a popular holiday spot in Rhode Island, in the United States, when suddenly onlookers see a massive shark behind them A massive 20-feet shark was filmed at a popular holiday resort with an onlooker heard screaming a line from the famous Jaws film as it lurked by a small boat. Diners eating by the beach were suddenly alarmed to see the predator lurking in the water and worryingly close to a boat with those onboard apparently unaware. The sea was looking calm in the footage when the fin of the shark appeared from the water behind the boat which had two people in it. A shout came from a man amid general chatter in a restaurant saying: 'There is a shark in the pond.' It was followed by general laughter before other people realised that he was actually being serious with the 20-feet predator moving through the water. It is a reference to a scene in Jaws, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, where a crowd shouted out that a shark had entered a tidal pond where children were playing in a boat. And it happened in real life in the water at Block Island, Rhode Island, in the US, where the fin was seen cutting through the water by diners at Dead Eye Dicks on Great Salt Pond. But fortunately the boat was heading the other way from the shark and there was no attack like in the film. The footage was shared online by the Atlantic Shark Institute who commented that they had received calls about the sighting of the predator. 'Sharks are arriving in Rhode Island daily as water temperatures continue to rise and more and more species of shark find them suitable to their liking,' it stated. 'Hopefully this shark will find its way out of Great Salt Pond soon and continue on its way!' It also said: 'We got some wonderful video but loved this one from Jen Seebeck who was enjoying dinner at Dead Eye Dicks when she noticed the fin slicing through the water inside Great Salt Pond. Clearly a very large shark and reminiscent of a scene from Jaws on this 50th anniversary of the film. Can you guess what the species is?' Atlantic Shark Institute executive director Jon Dodd said the shark in the video is a basking shark, estimated to be approximately 20 feet long with a large dorsal fin. The basking shark is the second-largest fish species after the whale shark and live on tiny plankton. They are commonly spotted in southern New England waters in late spring, according to the New England Aquarium. Basking sharks can be mistaken for great white sharks but they have pointed dorsal fins, while the basking sharks have rounded fins.
9 News
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 9 News
Massive six-metre shark spotted tailing US boat
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here A monster-sized shark has been spotted off the US coast in the state of Rhode Island. The 20-foot (6 metres) basking shark was seen in the Great Salt Pond earlier this week. It was captured on video by local Jen Seebeck before it was posted to the Atlantic Shark Institute's social pages on Wednesday. A monster-sized shark has been spotted off the US coast in the state of Rhode Island. The 20-foot (6 metre) shark was caught on video by local Jen Seebeck on Memorial Day weekend, before it was posted to the Atlantic Shark Institute's social pages. (Instagram) The video has been viewed 4 million times, with the size of the fish drawing comparisons to the movie " Jaws". "Clearly a very large shark and reminiscent of a scene from Jaws on this 50th anniversary of the film," the post on Atlantic Shark reads. "Sharks are arriving in Rhode Island daily as water temperatures continue to rise and more and more species of shark find them suitable to their liking." While the shark in Jaws is a great white, this 20-foot shark appears to be a basking shark, Atlantic Shark Institute executive director Jon Dodd local media. "They are harmless filter-feeders but that wouldn't matter much if you were in the water when one came cruising by," he said. The species are often mistaken for one another, but the fin on a basking shark is more rounded, while a great white's is pointed. (Instagram) The species are often mistaken for one another, but the fin on a basking shark is more rounded, while a great white's is pointed. Basking sharks are plankton-eating creatures, they don't eat other fish. The sharks are the second-largest fish in the world, and can grow up to 40-feet (12 metres), according to the University of Florida. They are known to be gentle and non-aggressive towards humans. CONTACT US Auto news: Google Gemini AI assistant coming to new cars in 2025.
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Terror in Rhode Island as enormous TWENTY FOOT shark is spotted swimming in pond
A 20-foot basking shark was spotted swimming near Rhode Island 's Block Island on Monday. Footage of the large animal first surfaced on Memorial Day, after Jennifer Seebeck spotted a large dorsal fin rising out of the waters in the Great Salt Pond, on an island off the south coast of the state. Seebeck had been dining at nearby restaurant Dead Eye Dick's when she managed to capture the shark near the surface of the water. In the clip, the shark can be seen going through the waters and past a seemingly vacant small boat. Other diners in the background can be heard passing comment on the animals appearance and laughing. The Atlantic Shark Institute shared the clip to their social media pages, causing it to go viral. In it, the organization said: 'We got a number of calls yesterday as people on Block Island, RI were treated to quite the scene, kicking off the 2025 summer season! 'Clearly a very large shark and reminiscent of a scene from Jaws on this 50th anniversary of the film.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Atlantic Shark Institute (@atlantic_shark) They added: 'Sharks are arriving in Rhode Island daily as water temperatures continue to rise and more and more species of shark find them suitable to their liking. 'Hopefully this shark will find its way out of Great Salt Pond soon and continue on its way!' The institutes director Jon Dodd later revealed that the animal was a basking shark that was around 20 feet long. He told WBZ-TV: 'They are harmless filter-feeders but that wouldn't matter much if you were in the water when one came cruising by!' The New England Aquarium say that basking sharks are the second-largest fish species after the whale shark and eat plankton. Dodd also told Fox that basking sharks prefer cooler waters and are regularly spotted around Rhode Island during the summer months. He said: 'This is a shark that we will see fairly consistently. They're considered vulnerable according to the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). 'In many parts of the world they're considered endangered', Dodd added. He also believes that the shark probably likely ended up in the pond after making a mistake on his travels. 'This guy just made a mistake. He must've been cruising up the west side of Block Island and said, "Hey, let me explore what's going on in this pond", and found himself in the wrong place.' The shark is since have believed to have left the pond around a day after being spotted. Dodd added that the sighting was a good sign for marine conservationists. In 2018 a group of fishermen filmed themselves releasing a huge great white shark that they managed to catch less than a mile away from a Rhode Island Beach. First mate Michael Lorello said the predator measured six feet long and was caught not far away from the popular pleasure beach of Misquamicut.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Vulnerable shark species spotted in Great Salt Pond
NEW SHOREHAM, R.I. (WPRI) — People eating at a Block Island restaurant over Memorial Day weekend got dinner and a show when a shark appeared in New Shoreham's Great Salt Pond. 'In this case, it was about a 20-foot basking shark,' said Jon Dodd, executive director of the Atlantic Shark Institute in Rhode Island. Dodd told 12 News on Wednesday that while the shark caused a stir on social media, the sighting was no cause for concern as the species is a filter feeder that eats plankton. 'It can look a lot like a great white, though. The dorsal fin is shaped very similarly,' Dodd noted. 'If you know what you're looking for … you can figure it out relatively quickly, but it was fun for people to try and figure it out.' WATCH: Sharks, a 12 on 12 Digital Original While Dodd said it's not unusual to see basking sharks in Rhode Island waters around this time of year, it is uncommon to see them in Great Salt Pond. The scientist thinks the shark was able to find its way out of the pond once things quieted down. 'These sharks are considered vulnerable. They were in really bad shape a few decades ago. They were hunted pretty extensively,' Dodd explained. 'At this point, it's not uncommon, but you usually see them off shore.' Ocean, Bay & Beach // Dodd said the basking shark's presence is a sign that Narragansett Bay is a healthy ocean environment. As the waters continue to warm this summer, the shark will likely head further north, ushering in more species like thresher and blue sharks, and eventually tiger and spinner sharks. While a basking shark is harmless to people, Dodd stressed that it is still a good idea to try to guess the species from a safe distance. 'Get out of the water,' he said. 'You don't want to find out too late that it's a white shark, and you may have some interaction that you're not interested in having.' If you spot a shark, you can help the Atlantic Shark Institute by safely snapping a picture or video and sending it to info@ Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
