Great White Shark Suddenly Lunges at Woman Who Reaches Out to Pet It Off Georgia Coast

A woman had a frighteningly close encounter with a great white shark off the coast of Georgia after reaching over the side of a boat to touch the enormous predator.

The incident happened near Tybee Island during a white shark tagging expedition organized by Knot Lucky Fishing, a group that takes military veterans and their families on fishing trips while supporting shark research.

Video of the encounter shows a woman identified as Jen leaning over the boat and placing her hand on the shark as it swims alongside the vessel. Moments later, the animal suddenly whips its head around and lunges in her direction, startling everyone aboard.

Jimmy Lee Armel, who shared the footage, described the dramatic moment in a social media post.

“One second Jen, one of our veterans, is laying her hand on a wild white shark like it’s the family dog, and the next second that shark whips around and lunges toward her,” he wrote.

Armel said the crew had the shark under control throughout the encounter and that Jen was never in immediate danger. No injuries were reported.

The expedition was part of a research program that catches, tags and releases great white sharks to gather information about their movements and behavior. The organization also names tagged sharks after fallen military service members in their honor.

However, the crew ultimately decided not to attach a tracking tag to this particular shark because they could not find a safe opportunity to do so.

Instead, the animal was released and allowed to swim away.

The footage has drawn attention to the risks of getting too close to powerful wild animals, even when they appear calm. The crew emphasized that the shark’s safety and the safety of everyone aboard had to come first.

What began as an extraordinary close-up encounter quickly became a startling reminder that a great white shark is still a wild predator — not an animal to be petted.

Source:  DAILYMAIL