Filmmakers Capture Terrifying Great White Shark Up Close

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Cue the theme song from Jaws, because another great white shark is gnashing its teeth. Except this one's real, in Australia, and not just an animatronic beast at the whims of Steven Spielberg.

Dave Riggs and his team of oceanic adventurers were shooting documentary footage for a "Shark Week" special near Port Lincoln in South Australia when a shark cut out the buildup, and popped up alongside the filmmakers' boat. Riggs says the curious, nearly 15ft-long shark was just “researching the area with its mouth,” which sounds like a terrible pick-up line, but is likely true.


An advocate for the acceptance and protection of great white sharks, Riggs made a PR plug for the killer fish, pleading that the terrifying creatures are not hostile toward humans and are in fact endangered themselves. He posted the insane photo and his plea on Facebook:

This is how a great white "sniffs" .. it looks frightening but this .. it really is .. the last dinosaur .. WE MUST PROTECT this magnificent creature!!!! Photo by Luke Thom for Discovery Shark Week

Posted by Dave Riggs on Tuesday, May 5, 2015

If anything, this photo will most likely spawn more fear. Those teeth just don’t scream "harmless."

Watch the video to hear Riggs narrate his encounter with the shark and to see more cool images of the allegedly gentle giant.


Kara King is a Thrillist intern and SoCal native. She is still trying to make sense of this strange, worldwide phenomenon called “weather.” Follow her attempts to live without all that sunshine at @karatillie.