10-Foot Great White Shark Terrorizes Cape Cod Surfers: ‘It Violently Turned at Me.’
On Saturday, two surfers had a close call with a large great white shark.
It happened at Coast Guard Beach, a surf spot in the Cape Cod National Seashore in Eastham, Massachusetts. Ironically, not far from where the iconic and forever fear-inducing Steven Spielberg 1975 blockbuster Jaws was set in Martha’s Vineyard.
Luckily, the two surfers made it out of the situation unscathed.
They story comes from Ray Trautz, who has allegedly seen “a hundred white sharks while surfing but this takes the top of all my shark interactions.”
He was surfing with his buddy, Pete Emond, when the encounter went down.
Here’s Ray’s story, via Facebook:
“I took overnight to bring myself to write these words…..
“Yesterday on November 4th 2023 at about noon my cousin Pete Emond and I were surfing by ourselves over in front of the vip house at Coast Guard beach. Pete was sitting on his board and I was standing on mine when I looked over my shoulder and a 10’ Great white Shark was on track right at Pete’s legs.
“The shark even turned on its side as if to take a leg , in that moment I yelled SHAARRRRK as Pete was still unaware. As I yelled I stabbed my paddle into the water at the back of the shark and it violently turned at me, tail and head thrashing back and forth erupting the water.
“The sharks massive tail section almost hit Pete in the face. I was yelling for Pete to go and get to shore as the shark circled behind me very aggressive and agitated. As the shark circled I circled and kept him from being behind me.
“In that moment a small wave came across the bar and in two quick strokes I was flying towards the beach. We both escaped unharmed and a little shaken. I’ve seen a hundred white sharks while surfing but this takes the top of all my shark interactions. In closing I will add that had I not been on a Sup this event would have played out very differently.
“Neither of us panicked and we reacted perfectly.”
According to the International Shark Attack File, there have been six confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in Massachusetts from 1837 to present day.
Good thing this encounter didn't make that seven.
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