NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (WJAR) — A group of Rhode Island fishermen had an unusual catch in Narragansett Wednesday morning.
Aboard the Lady Frances, part of the Frances Fleet, a small great white shark bit Eric Willer's hook.
"It really is a once in a lifetime thing," he said. "When I first saw it, I was like, I thought I knew what it was, but I didn't believe it. It popped up, and I was like, 'Folks, that's a great white shark.'"
It was able to shake itself free, but swam around the boat, allowing the fishermen to capture videos of the shark they said was about 4.5-feet to 5-feet-long.
After a quick look, Jon Dodd of the Atlantic Shark Institute was able to confirm it's a great white.
"That's a newborn white shark, so that's a really unique catch. You don’t see them very often at that size," he said.
He said sightings like this are a good sign for the vulnerable species.
"To see them is a real treat, never mind to then have it swim around the boat," Dodd said. "It's great for the sharks and its great for everybody who loves the ocean."
Willer couldn't agree more.
"To have one here, especially just a few miles off the beach in New England is pretty interesting," he said.
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