A fishing trip off the coast of Georgia took an unexpected turn when a woman reached out to “pet” a great white shark.
The group was out on the water near Tybee Island when the incident occurred. Knot Lucky Fishing organized the trip, an organization that offers complimentary fishing outings to active-duty military members, veterans, and their families.
In the video shared on the group’s Facebook page, a woman identified as Jen reaches down to touch the shark’s head. But as she appears to stroke it, the shark suddenly lunges forward and bites the side of the boat.
Jen was not injured. However, the close encounter quickly drew online attention, with viewers questioning why anyone would try to touch such a powerful wild animal.
Fishing crew explains what happened
Knot Lucky Fishing shared the footage on social media, and acknowledged the shark’s unexpected reaction.
“Everybody on the boat felt that one in their chest.”
While some questioned the decision to reach toward the shark, while others pointed out that the animal could have been reacting to its situation.
One commenter asked: “Why would you want to pet a shark?”
Another wrote: “What does one expect from a shark trying to protect itself?!”
A third viewer suggested the shark may have been attempting to free itself rather than attack the woman, commenting: “‘Lunged’. I think the shark was far more interested in getting off the hook than trying to take a bite out of the woman.”
The organization later addressed the discussion, emphasizing that the crew had maintained control of the situation.
“The crew had that shark under control the whole time, and it never got close enough to do any harm,” they wrote, according to VT.
They also stressed that the animal’s reaction served as a reminder of why sharks should be treated with caution and respect.
“But that reaction right there is a reminder of exactly what these animals are. Beautiful. Powerful. Wild. They deserve every ounce of respect we can give them.”
Why the crew was working with sharks
According to the organization, Jen was never in any real danger during the encounter. The crew also clarified that the shark seen in the footage was not tagged because they did not have a safe opportunity to do so.
“We catch, tag, and release great whites to collect real research on where they go and how they live, and every shark we tag carries the name of a fallen brother. Science and honor on the same deck,” the group explained.
“The shark’s safety and the crew’s safety come first, every single time, so we let that shark go to swim another day.”
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