It was a scene straight out of Jaws.
An Australian family had a closer wildlife encounter than intended after a massive 14-foot great white shark circled their boat for over an hour – even chewing on their engine on several occasions. Footage of the stunning encounter is currently making waves on social media.
“We had a big visitor from the deep, nice big … white pointer,” David Tuckfield told 9News of the “white” knuckles encounter.
The Australian was reportedly fishing with his wife Tanya and 14-year-old son Shelby off the coast of Mandurah, south of Perth, when the apex predator approached their 24-foot boat and attempted to snag the teenager’s catch.
The footage shows the great white, which Tuckfield estimated to be 14 feet long, crashing behind the boat, mouth open, causing Tanya to let out a bloodthirsty scream. Later in the clip, the Behemoth can be seen mouthing the engine with its jumbo claws.
“He tried to take a chunk out of the engine – we were mesmerized,” said Tuckfield, who has reportedly never seen a shark that size or so close, though he’s fished the area frequently.
“He tried to take a piece out of the engine – we were mesmerized,” David Tuckfield told News9
After a one-hour circumnavigation of the ship, during which the “great majestic creature” bit the engine several times, Jaws finally swam away.
Despite the harrowing encounter, the family said the interaction was the highlight of their Easter weekend.
“We don’t appreciate them until you see them up close, and it’s their playground,” Tuckfield said.
The angler should thank his lucky stars: In February, several Sydney beaches were closed after a swimmer was killed in a great white shark attack, the first such fatality on the city’s beaches in almost 60 years.
The shark circled the boat for an hour.News9
“We don’t appreciate them until you see them up close, and it’s their playground,” Tuckfield said. News9