A close encounter with a great white shark off Tybee Island, Georgia, took a startling turn when a woman reached out to touch the animal — and the shark suddenly swung its head and lunged toward her.
Video of the encounter was shared on Facebook by Jimmy Lee Armel of the Knot Lucky White Shark Tagging Program.
“One second, Jen, one of our veterans, is laying her hand on a wild white shark like it’s the family dog, and the next second that shark whips around and lunges toward her,” Armel wrote. “Everybody on the boat felt that one in their chest.”
Armel said Jen was never in immediate danger because the crew had control of the situation and the shark did not get close enough to harm her. Still, he said its reaction offered a clear reminder that great white sharks are powerful wild animals that must be treated with respect.
The Knot Lucky program catches, tags, and releases great white sharks to help researchers study their movements and behavior.
Each tagged shark is also given the name of a fallen service member, combining the program’s scientific work with its mission of honoring those who died in service.
This shark was not tagged, however. Armel said the crew never had a safe opportunity and would not force the process.
“The shark’s safety and the crew’s safety come first, every single time,” he wrote.
The crew released the shark, allowing it to swim away without a tag.
