Boaters Film Great White Shark’s Brutal Attack On Seal Right Off Shore Of Nantucket Beach

• Boaters captured a great white shark chomping down on a seal off the coast of Nantucket
• The attack, which took place off the coast of the beach near Great Lighthouse Point, marked the first time the species was spotted in the region’s waters of the region this season
• Check out more shark attacks here

It’s been close to 50 years since Jaws lived up to the tagline that warned moviegoers “You’ll never go in the water again” courtesy of its brutal depiction of the killing spree perpetrated by the bloodthirsty great white shark that roamed the waters off of Amity Island.

That blockbuster was responsible for sparking Steven Spielberg’s meteoric ascension to Hollywood royalty. However, the legendary director wasn’t the only person who had their career trajectory permanently altered by the masterful adaptation of the novel it was based on; Jaws author Peter Benchley devoted a good chunk of the remainder of his life advocating for the species that was subjected to the irreparable harm inextricably linked to the misconceptions Jaws is responsible for.

An estimated 100 million sharks are slaughtered on an annual basis despite the fact that they kill an average of six people per year, and while the movie obviously isn’t the only factor that plays a role in those massive cullings, its impact on the public’s perception of the animals has served as a major detriment to conservation efforts.

Despite the mountain of evidence that shows beachgoers should be way more worried about falling victim to rip tides and heatstroke as opposed to a shark attack, it’s still hard not to be a tad paranoid thanks to the stories we’re routinely treated to that make it hard not to wonder if your galeophobia is really that irrational.

A couple of years ago, a drone captured a shark swimming disturbingly close to a pro surfer in Australia who wasn’t aware of its presence until others brought it to his attention, and I’m sure a video of a shark attacking a seal near a beach in Cape Cod last year caused at least a few people to reconsider their vacation plans.

Now, we’ve been treated to a similarly wild clip that was filmed just off the coast of Nantucket over Memorial Day Weekend.

According to NBC10, boaters off the coast of a beach near Great Point Lighthouse whipped out their phones on Sunday after spotting a great white shark lurking in the waters near the shore before chowing down on a seal that was unfortunate enough to catch its attention.

Officials say this encounter is the area’s first confirmed great white sighting of the summer season, and while they stressed the sharks pose a minimal threat to humans, they advised anyone who decides to take a dip in the region to not wade past waist-level water just to be safe.