WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. — A group of fishermen from Boston spotted an 18-foot-long great white shark off the coast of North Carolina, Wilmington NBC affiliate WECT reported.
The men were 25 miles southeast of Wrightsville Beach when they noticed that the fish stopped biting. They then saw two fins circling their boat.
“I think it’s two dolphins or something — two dolphins far apart. Those two dolphins turn out to be one giant shark,” Matt Garrett told the station.
Garrett pulled out his cellphone and captured the shark on video. He said he knew the shark was 18 feet long because it was nearly as long as the 20-foot boat.
North Carolina Aquarium spokesman Paul Barrington said it’s rare to see great whites off the North Carolina coast, but sightings have been reported in the past.
“They did the right thing. They didn’t harass it. They took some great video of it. They are very fortunate. That’s something they will never forget,” Barrington said.
Barrington told the station that the shark was likely curious about the boat and the fishing activity.
The shark swam away after about 20 minutes.
