When a shark emerged from the water with an open mouth and triangular 2-inch teeth, fisherman Steve Clark of Avalon knew he was having a close encouter with a great white shark. The chance meeting, he says, happened about 5 p.m. Saturday at 28-Mile Wreck, the site of a World War II shipwreck off of Cape May.
"He is gorgeous or she. It could be a she. Watch out. He could come out. Get back. Get back. You guys are nuts," said a voice on a YouTube video. "Don't get close. It will come up. It will come after us."
Clark's team of fisherman spotted the 16-foot great white shark swimming around their 35 foot boat.
The shark swam around the vessel for about 20 minutes before eating the entire chum basket carrying fish. The basket was hanging off the side of the boat and drifted off in the shark's mouth. Members of the crew took photos and videos as the shark swam near the boat.
Steve Clark and his fishermen friends fish in a private boat they dubbed the 35 Everglades. They work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They tag sharks in the ocean off the New Jersey coast as part of a cooperative program called the Apex Predator Program.
A recent study conducted by the NOAA says that great white shark numbers have increased since 2000 due to conservation efforts.
"The species appears to be recovering," said Cami McCandless, one of the authors. "This tells us the management tools appear to be working."
Such a great white shark sighting is not that uncommon this time of year, according to Clark. He says he usually sees one great white shark every year and is able to differentiate between sharks due to the great white's teeth.
Earlier in the day, the crew caught and released a dusky shark that weighed 150-pounds. Shortly after that, they saw another shark and relocated their boat two miles away when the great white came upon their boat.
The day was pretty slow, but seeing the shark was a "big bonus," said Clark. Who described the experience as nerve-wracking once the shark started pulling on the chum basket.
Contact Sarah Glover at 610-668-5580, sarah.glover@nbcuni.com or follow @skyphoto on Twitter.
