Video shows great white shark snatching fish “like a loaf of bread” from line off Cape Cod
By Web Staff
Click here for updates on this story
CAPE COD, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Fishermen face challenges every day off the coast of Massachusetts, and in some cases, sharks are threatening their catch.
National Geographic crews were filming off Cape Cod in June when they caught a great white shark snatching a fish right off the line, in a behavior known as depredation.
Fishing crews say they’re hauling in more fish that have been mauled, probably because there are more sharks in the area.
National Geographic explorer and photographer Brian Skerry, a Massachusetts native, worked with local charter boat captains to get the footage. He used a small camera attached to a bridle and the fishing lure.
Skerry told WBZ-TV the animal’s twist before it bites the fish is notable. He described the female juvenile white shark grabbing the fish “like a loaf of bread.”
“She grabs it from the side, and it almost seems intentional that she’s not grabbing where the lure is. She doesn’t want to get hooked either, you know, or herself,” Skerry said. “Now again, maybe I’m giving them too much credit or reading into it too much, but I do think there’s some decisions being made.”
Greg Skomal, a shark expert with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, told National Geographic it was the first time he had seen video that shows shark depredation underwater.
Fishermen say they’re worried they could wind up taking a financial hit if sharks eat their catch, damage their gear and cost them fishing charter clients.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.