Watch: Great white shark photobombs Florida university's ocean camera | FOX 51 Gainesville
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Watch: Great white shark photobombs Florida university's ocean camera

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Published  April 11, 2025 7:23am EDT
Sharks
FOX 35 Orlando

Great white shark photobombs FAU's ocean camera

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) made a cool discovery while viewing their underwater ocean camera footage – a great white shark! The shark was estimated to be 10-feet long. Stephen Kajiura, Ph.D., a professor of biological sciences at FAU, said the footage was a "rare moment of shark-on-shark action – or what we’re coining as a ‘shark photobomb.’"

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. - Researchers at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) made a cool discovery while viewing their underwater ocean camera footage – a great white shark!

The shark was estimated to be 10-feet long. 

Stephen Kajiura, Ph.D., a professor of biological sciences at FAU, said the footage was a "rare moment of shark-on-shark action – or what we’re coining as a ‘shark photobomb.’"

What we know:

Professor Kajiura and his research team have been studying the travel habits and behavior of sharks in the waters off Palm Beach County, Florida, for several years.

They gather their research by tagging a camera to a nurse shark's dorsal fin. 

The tag is lightweight, letting the shark swim normally while FAU researchers collect video footage and 3D acceleration data – kind of like the step counter on a smartphone, according to the university.

‘Unexpected surprise’

What they're saying:

FAU said their research normally focuses on blacktips, hammerheads and lemon sharks, but this time, Genevieve Sylvester, a master's student on the team, said the footage "was a completely unexpected surprise."

As the nurse shark swam around Donny Boy Slipe Reef, its camera tag recorded a four-minute interaction with a great white shark.

"While divers have reported seeing great white sharks here recently, this rare footage gives us a shark’s-eye view of the interactions between these two very different kinds of sharks," Professor Kajiura said in a statement.

 "Our footage clearly showed a great white, estimated to be at least 10 feet long, and reveals a rare moment of shark-on-shark action – or what we’re coining as a ‘shark photobomb.," he added.

"We were all huddled around my computer, reviewing the footage" Sylvester said. "When we saw the great white shark appear – more than once – we couldn’t believe it. To witness it from the shark’s point of view made it even more surreal. It was a truly an unforgettable moment for our entire team."

Why are FAU researchers studying sharks?

The backstory:

The university said the research is part of a larger effort to continue learning about how sharks behave in South Florida.

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The Source: This story was written based on information provided by Florida Atlantic University on April 10, 2025. 

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