Petting wild shark triggers dramatic lunge from apex predator
A woman petting a wild great white shark prompted it to lunge; the crew said she was safe.
Jen, a veteran participating in a shark tagging program, reached out to place her hand on a wild great white shark from the deck of a fishing boat off Tybee Island, Georgia. The shark whipped around and lunged toward her in response.
The crew captured the moment on video. Knot Lucky Fishing, which runs the White Shark Tagging Program, said the woman was safe the entire time and that the crew controlled the situation.
The organisation takes veterans and active duty service members on free fishing trips, using the outings to tag and release great white sharks for research. The shark in the video could not be tagged due to safety concerns for the crew and animal.
- Jen
- Participant name
- Tybee Island, Georgia
- Location
- Knot Lucky Fishing
- Organization
- Ten
- Sharks tagged so far
Why it mattersA dramatic reminder of wild animal unpredictability and the instinctive reactions that make close contact with apex predators risky.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect; this occurred off the US coast in Georgia and is trending in Australia due to the striking video.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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