Beachgoers Stunned To See Shark Less Than 10 Feet Away From Shore

What started as a peaceful morning at one Massachusetts beach soon turned into chaos when visitors noticed a great white shark swimming dangerously close to the shore. Some Cape Cod beachgoers got to witness the incredible sight of the huge shark swimming less than 10 feet away from the shore this weekend, reports CBS News.

The great white shark was spotted off Race Point Beach in Provincetown. One beachgoer, who shared photos and videos of the predator on Facebook, said that visitors were first alerted to something "different" when they noticed that seals would not move away from the shore. "Often the seals hang by the shore, but today was different...the dogs and screaming kids couldn't spook them off!" wrote Tamzen McKenzie.

Ms McKenzie was at the beach with her friends, Erin and Brad Kulis, who told WCVB that some people were in water when they noticed the shark's dorsal fin near the shore.

They estimated that the shark was about 12 to 14-feet-long and stayed in shallow water for about 15 minutes. It did not bother the seals that were resting on a nearby sandbar. 

"I wouldn't put a toe in the water!" declared one Facebook user in the comments section, while another said, "Oh that's too close."

Researchers with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, a nonprofit organisation, also shared photos from the scene to warn tourists to be careful. "This is a good example and reminder of how close to shore white sharks can get," they wrote.

Images of a white shark off Race Point Beach in Provincetown over the weekend. This is a good example and reminder of how close to shore white sharks can get.
Photo credit: Kulis Cup friends and family pic.twitter.com/IahlBdJKoU

— Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (@A_WhiteShark) September 8, 2020

Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish on Earth, found in coastal waters around the world. In June, drone footage had captured a great white swimming beneath oblivious surfers in South Africa.