Video: Great White Shark Chomps on Inflatable Boat
OutdoorHub Reporters 05.09.14
A film crew on an inflatable boat got a surprise when they attracted a great white shark off the coast of South Africa recently. That surprise soon turned to concern when the fish began biting—and deflating—the vessel’s rubber sponsons. The crew, which was filming for the popular YouTube channel MaxAnimal, were able to pilot the partially-deflated craft back to shore without injury. While the encounter may have put the filmmakers’ boat out of commission for that day, it did net them a firsthand recording of a shark attack.
“Is the scariest part when the shark eyes our folks on the boat?” the MaxAnimal team wrote in the video’s description. “Ah Yeah.”
Great white sharks have a feared reputation for being man-eaters. This reputation is largely undeserved as unprovoked shark attacks are incredibly rare. However, great whites do account for the largest number of fatal attacks on humans among all shark species.
“The awesome Great White can grow to 21 feet in length. It is the apex predator of the sea. Except for maybe the orca,” the MaxAnimal team wrote.
Great whites also have powerful jaws, which are more than capable of punching through the thick rubber of the inflatable. According to a 2008 study, a great white shark’s bite can be measured at a pound force (lbf) of over 4,000 pounds. This is roughly 20 times more powerful than a human’s.
MaxAnimal praised the Zodiac boat for being sturdy enough to take them back to land even with one side of the boat sinking. The film crew holds little in the way of a grudge against the shark, which they believe was just acting naturally.
“Great White Sharks are amazing creatures. They should be respected and protected.”
You can watch the video below:
