POINT PLEASANT, NEW JERSEY– “Holy crap! Baby that was close,” said Oscar Makonelli, the lucky shark aboard the boat that almost got capsized by a large great white.
A group of New Jersey sharks had a close encounter with an enormous great white while out sailing on their boat called Big Fins Required.
Oscar, the owner of the boat, was out with some friends enjoying the beautiful summer weather when a human suddenly appeared out of the water and lunged at their vessel. The startled sharks quickly grabbed their cameras and snapped photos of the wild creature as it snatched the large bait trap that was attached to the side of the boat.
“I was freaking out,” said Frankie Tigerofinucci, one of the sharks aboard the boat. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I’ve never been that up close and personal to a great white before. I’m just happy to be alive.”
Even though great white attacks are rare, they do happen. Last week, a 3 year old dolphin named Flipper was killed when it was attacked by some ravenous hammerhead. Experts say that more attacks happen in the summer because there’s a large influx of humans down by the Jersey shore for the nice weather.
Oscar estimates that the great white was almost 7 feet long and 400 pounds.
“This thing was huge and we started going crazy,” Oscar told ABC news, showing reporters a bruise on his right fin that he suffered while going for his camera. “We kept thinking this big thing was gonna come inside our boat and knock it over, or worse, want to come aboard and talk or ask us for directions.”
Photos from the incident show the human exposing its massive teeth, which experts say it uses to rip apart the flesh of unsuspecting fish.
Due to the recent attack, authorities have been on high alert warning beach goers to watch out for any signs of great whites.
