Latest news with #greatwhite
CBS News
4 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Family reels in 800-pound great white shark off Fort Lauderdale coast
What started as a perfect day of fishing for one family turned into the trip of a lifetime when they hooked a massive 800-pound, 10-foot great white shark. It happened while aboard a Fishing Headquarters charter off the coast of Fort Lauderdale. "Humongous… It's ginormous!" The Jennings family had already reeled in two large fish when they got a third bite — and instantly knew something was different. "Humongous. I can see it from up here, it's ginormous!" someone on board exclaimed. "You got a great white guys," the captain yelled as the excitement escalated. "Shut the front door," said Lauren Jennings, reacting with disbelief as the family worked together to reel it in. The struggle to land the shark was intense. "My arm was hurting. I was shaking. I thought I was going to throw up. He was shaking. Our son was shaking, trying to reel it in," Lauren said. A rare catch in South Florida waters "I haven't ever experienced power like that before. That was scary, yeah, it was fun. Yes, very fun," said Mikel Jennings. "I thought, holy cow, that is more than I imagined," added 11-year-old Grayson Jennings. David Joy, First Mate with Fishing Headquarters, said the catch was extraordinary. "It was a really cool, really cool fish to catch down here," Joy said. Captain Paul Paolucci, who has worked with Fishing Headquarters since 2003, said sightings like this are uncommon. "It's pretty rare out here. I've been doing this since 2003. This is the fifth one I've caught. So I know people who have done it a long time — never caught one," he said. Expert says shark likely migrating Catherine McDonald, a shark expert with the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School, explained that great white sharks are often seen in Florida's waters during the cooler months. "Great whites really love to come into Florida's waters during the cooler months of the year," she said. "I wouldn't be at all surprised if that shark is wrapping up having wintered here in the Gulf of Mexico and is currently heading up the coast towards New England." McDonald added that great whites generally pose little threat to humans. "They're really not interested in us. They are minding their own business on their own journey," she said. "They normally keep a healthy distance and stay a few miles offshore." A fish tale with video proof For the Jennings family, the encounter has become an unforgettable story and one they can prove. "This was trip of a lifetime," Mikel Jennings said. The family already plans to return next spring.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
California swimmer has very lucky escape after encounter with 'curious' great white shark
A lucky swimmer managed to escape after a 'curious' great white shark reportedly bumped into them at a California beach. The terrifying incident took place Tuesday around 10.30am at Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego when a shark was spotted swimming offshore near Lifeguard Tower #5, park officials said. Shortly after, an investigation determined the shark measured about seven to eight feet in length and swam away after its brief interaction with the unidentified swimmer. Several warning signs were posted at beach access points near Towers #2, #5 and #7 after the sighting. The warnings remained in place for 24 hours. Though it is not uncommon for the sea creatures to make their way back to the warm California beaches this time of year, it is 'rare' to see them 'bump' into people, Shark Lab director Chris Lowe told NBC San Diego. 'It's actually really rare for sharks to actually bump swimmers or surfers,' he explained. 'We have lots of sharks, and we have lots of people, usually in close proximity to each other all summer long, and the sharks tend to ignore people.' Lowe believes the shark might have collided with the swimmer because it was startled or possibly just curious about them. Jack Elstner, a PH.D. student at Scripps University of Oceanography, echoes Lowe's mention that this is the exact time of year sharks, specifically juveniles, come back to the shores of Southern California. 'Juvenile white sharks use near-shore beach environments as nursery habitats, and they like these areas because the waters are warm, which allows the sharks to grow quickly,' Elstner told ABC 10News. 'There's tons for them to eat, so there are lots of stingrays and little fish.' When he heard about the size of the shark, Elstner said he immediately knew it was young. 'These sharks really like the warmer water temperatures, so when the water gets cold, they go south down to Baja a lot of the times, but when the water warms up in Southern California, we start to see them coming back to our beaches,' he added. Although many fear sharks coming back to parts of the ocean for the summer, Elstner said it is actually a great sign that they return. 'A lot of people think that shark sightings can be scary, and of course these are large predators in the ocean that we have to respect, but also the presence of sharks in these habitats is a sign that the ecosystem is healthy and recovering,' he continued. Lowe still advised beach-goers to remain cautious as the weather warms up, not just because of sharks, but also other sea animals. 'They're always out there,' he said. 'Go enjoy the beach, enjoy the water, know that these animals are out there. Remember that there are also stingrays out there, and stingrays hurt about 10,000 people a year in California.' California State Parks shared the same reminder, telling 'California State Parks would like to remind visitors that sharks are an important part of the coastal ecosystem and that interactions between humans and sharks are rare along the Southern California coast.' Shark season in San Diego hits a peak in July or August and can sometimes go into September. The season in general takes place April-November. News of this sighting comes months after an enormous great white shark was seen stalking a popular Florida beach in January. The 1,400-pound, 13-foot shark was detected prowling the waters off Florida's coastline as authorities warned beachgoers to be on the lookout for the fish. The shark, nicknamed 'Breton,' surfaced an astonishing four times in a single day near Daytona Beach. According to data from OSEARCH - a globally renowned nonprofit dedicated to marine research - Breton first pinged his presence days before, but it was the constant flurry of activity that set researchers and locals abuzz. The shark's tag, a sophisticated tracking device affixed to his dorsal fin, indicated his movements every time he surfaced - providing a rare and chilling glimpse into the habits of these ocean predators. Breton's fin was tagged during OSEARCH's 2020 Nova Scotia expedition with the hulking predator named after Cape Breton, where scientists first encountered him. Over the past four-and-a-half years, Breton has become a legend among researchers, logging an astonishing 41,000 miles in his odyssey through the Atlantic.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Fisherman's alarming sighting in popular marina as crisis worsens: 'Never seen it before'
An unexpected visitor to a popular marina in South Australia has created a stir, with local fishermen saying they've never seen anything like it. A juvenile great white was spotted cruising the shallows of Wirrina Cove, leading some to wonder if the state's algal bloom crisis is behind the predator's behaviour. Jarrod Glaister, owner and skipper of Southern Fishing Charters, told Yahoo News he initially thought the animal was a dolphin and was shocked to see a great white in the marina. 'I've never seen it before,' he said. While doing maintenance on his boat Jarrod spotted the shark alongside the vessel, and could still see it swimming around hours later. "He's still kicking around, he's stuck in the marina," Jarrod said. "He's just swimming around." While the shark had attracted the attention of a couple of onlookers, Jarrod predicted it wouldn't be long before word spread and more people came to the marina for a look. The toxic algal bloom is suffocating marine life off the South Australian coast, killing more than 200 aquatic species, including protected sea dragons and sharks. A mob of kangaroos were also euthanised after eating toxic grass near the algal bloom. In April, a great white shark was rescued from a sandbar near Tiddy Widdy Beach, while in May another great white couldn't be saved after washing up at Henley Beach. The Fleurieu Peninsula, which includes Wirrina Cove, has been largely impacted by the algae explosion. Professor Culum Brown, behavioural ecologist at Macquarie University, said the region has a healthy shark population and it's not uncommon for juvenile white sharks to be spotted close to shore. "I have no doubt white sharks swim by marinas from time to time. There is no reason why they wouldn't be there," Prof Brown told Yahoo News. He added the shark looked "disorientated", and couldn't rule out the algae bloom as the cause. "That whole area is having an issue with raised water temps and high plankton counts so it might be related, but who can really say," he said. "Algal blooms are problematic for two main reasons: 1) they can be toxic in their own right, and 2) they can starve the water of oxygen. "If you combine that with high water temperatures, where O2 levels are already lower, then you have a problem." Experts have described the scenes, which began in early March, as a "horror movie for fish". With barely any rain or wind forecast across the region over the next week, the algae bloom is only expected to worsen. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
CBS News
13-05-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Great white shark bites seal in first sighting of the season off Massachusetts
It's time for beachgoers in Massachusetts to start thinking about sharks again, the New England Aquarium says. The first great white shark of the season was spotted off Nantucket on Sunday. The shark went after a seal off Smith's Point in Madaket, which is on the western end of the island. A witness saw a pool of blood in the water, then a seal swimming to the beach with a shark right behind. The Nantucket Current shared video of the bloody predation on social media. Massachusetts shark biologist John Chisholm looked at photos of the seal's wounds and confirmed that the bite was from a great white. "This is the time of year when we like to remind people to be 'shark smart' as white sharks return to the inshore waters of New England, where they'll hunt seals and other prey through the summer and into the fall," Chisholm said in a statement. Shark season in Massachusetts Chisholm also said that Cape Cod Bay is "full of basking sharks right now." According to the aquarium, basking sharks "might appear menacing" but they are harmless and only feed on plankton. Both white sharks and basking sharks are off Massachusetts now. Here's a cheat sheet on how to tell them apart. Remember, if you see a white shark please use the @sharktivity app to report it. — MA Sharks 🦈 (@MA_Sharks) May 12, 2025 Beachgoers are encouraged to be aware of the potential presence of sharks in shallow waters. They should avoid going in the ocean if seals or schools of fish are around, and always stay close to shore so emergency responders can reach them if needed. "Increased shark sightings can be a positive sign of a recovering marine ecosystem, but this recovery also means that people should take even more care while swimming or surfing," aquarium senior scientist Nick Whitney said. Shark sightings can be reported to the Sharktivity app. Last year, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy installed acoustic shark receivers along the Outer Cape to detect great whites and get the word out to beachgoers. While sharks are returning to Massachusetts now, their numbers in the state tend to peak in late summer and early fall when the water is the warmest.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Search is on for shark teeth after 7 fossils found on Narragansett beach
NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (WPRI) — The Atlantic Shark Institute is asking for beachgoers assistance searching for fossilized shark teeth. Jon Dodd, executive director of the Atlantic Shark Institute, told 12 News at least seven shark teeth have been discovered at Narragansett Town Beach within the past year. The first fossilized shark tooth was discovered last August by a 6-year-old boy who was wandering the beach collecting seashells. RELATED: 6-year-old finds fossilized shark tooth at Narragansett beach Dodd told 12 News that, as soon as he looked at the tooth, he knew it belonged to a great white shark. He estimated that the fossilized shark tooth was at least 10,000 years old. He was astounded to learn that a second fossilized great white shark tooth was uncovered at the same beach by a South Kingstown woman a few months later. Dodd said five more fossilized shark teeth have cropped up since then, and the Atlantic Shark Institute is analyzing a possible eighth. 'We're not sure what's going on, but it's fascinating and the teeth are different sizes, shapes and colors,' Dodd said. Dodd said each of the fossilized shark teeth were discovered on one small stretch of the beach. 'It's not a significant beach in terms of length,' he said. 'But we're continuing to explore what's going on.' The Atlantic Shark Institute is encouraging beachgoers to look for more fossilized shark teeth. Dodd said signs are now posted across Narragansett Town Beach alerting everyone to the recent discoveries. MORE: Ancient shark tooth uncovered at Narragansett beach 'If you run into a shark tooth, just reach out to us,' Dodd said. 'It's your tooth to keep, not ours. But we would love to see a picture of it and get a sense of its size.' This is the only beach in the state where fossilized shark teeth have been spotted, according to Dodd, but that doesn't mean it's impossible to find them elsewhere. Anyone who finds a fossilized shark tooth is asked to send a photograph of it to info@ and include the location where it was discovered. SEE ALSO: Fisherman catches shark rarely seen in Rhode Island waters 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.
