Earlier this week a fireboat working off the coast of California had a close encounter with a great white shark.
The fearsome predators are not usually found so close to the coastline, but apparently strayed into the normally calm waters. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department added a GoPro video to its Facebook page, which showed the hair-raising moment that the shark came right up close to the boat.
GoPro captures stunning footage
Deputies captured the video using a GoPro camera held off the side of the boat, recording a video of the sharks. Lifeguards were notified of the sighting and swimmers were told to stay away from the water. All told there were six sightings of great white sharks that day, all of which apparently measured between five and six feet in length.
The Sunset Harbor fireboat was patrolling offshore on Monday morning when its crew spotted a large fish. It turned out to be a great white shark swimming just below the surface of the water.
A Facebook post from the Sheriff’s Department stated that marine scientists had watched the GoPro video and confirmed that it was in fact a great white shark. Later that day a helicopter from the Sheriff’s Department was called in to monitor the seas after more sharks were spotted in the area.
Swimmers advised to stay out of the water
Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol sergeant John Hollenbeck has has been working in the waters off California for 25 years, but had never seen a great white shark before. “I’ve seen an awful lot of sea life in my career, but not great white sharks,” he said. “If you have a chance to see one, you go see one.”
The sharks were just 40 yards from shore, and the sighting was the latest in the past few weeks. “People need to make their own informed decision on whether they are going to get in the water,” said Seal Beach lifeguard chief Joe Bailey.
GoPro has recorded incredible levels of engagement on its social media accounts, and when the company’s products are capable of capturing amazing footage such as this latest video, it’s not hard to see why people are interested.
