BOOTHBAY HARBOR, ME (WAVY) — Mr. Hooper, slow ahead if you please!
A U.S. Coast Guard crew in Maine had a literal real-life “Jaws” experience when a massive, 20-footer passed by their motor lifeboat this week.
Coast Guard Station Boothbay Harbor posted the video on social media Tuesday, noting the encounter happened as the crew was returning from a search and rescue mission.
The Department of Defense said in a tweet Friday morning that marine experts determined the shark was a basking shark.
According to the international group Oceana, the basking shark is the second largest fish in the world, reaching lengths around 40 feet. The basking shark is listed as vulnerable and is a cold-water species that’s found in a wide-range of areas across the globe.
Unlike the great white eating machine in Steven Spielberg’s classic film, the basking shark is a “filter feeder” that has minute, hooked teeth and mainly eats tiny plankton.
It is mainly known for its large mouth, which stays wide-open while it’s feeding.