A photo taken by a National Geographic photographer on July 8 might be the first underwater image of a great white shark off the coast of Maine, according to the magazine.
Brian Skerry was roughly 15 miles off the coast of Harpswell when he briefly encountered the 10-foot juvenile great white.
Skerry started diving in Maine waters around 50 years ago and has logged more than 10,000 hours under water, according to National Geographic. He believes it is the first underwater photo of a great white in the area.
A marine biologist at the New England Aquarium in Boston and an assistant scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s marine predators group also told National Geographic they were also unaware of any other underwater images of great whites in Maine.
More sharks have been spotted in Maine waters in recent years, and while climate change is often credited, a marine biologist interviewed by National Geographic said conservation efforts that protected sharks and their prey from the fishing industry are the more likely cause.
Skerry’s photo makes its debut two weeks from the fifth anniversary of Maine’s first known fatal great white attack, which happened off Bailey Island in Harpswell. It also coincides with the lead-up to a run of 50th anniversary screenings of “Jaws,” which might inspire a new generation of shark fear.
But a marine biologist interviewed by National Geographic stressed that shark attacks against humans are exceedingly rare, saying that a person is much more likely to die in a car crash on the way to the beach.