Great White Shark Feeds on Dead Seal While Family Films it From Their Boat

Image source: YouTube
A Rhode Island family got an eyeful during a boating expedition on Wednesday when they spotted a great white shark snacking on a seal carcass.
Peter Mottur of Portsmouth, R.I. was with his wife, two children and mother on their boat off the south tip of Monomoy Island near Chatham, Mass. when they found themselves privy to the great white’s mealtime, according to the Huffington Post.
Mottur said they first saw the shark just a few hundred feet from the beach and maneuvered the boat for a closer look. That’s when they saw the shark was occupied: swimming around a dead seal floating in the bay…then moving in to devour it. The family whipped out their cameras and captured the great white in action. Scroll for video.
“My kids were excited and terrified at the same time,” Mottur told the Huffington Post. “They have watched Jaws with me several times, but they knew this was the real deal.”
Mottur estimated the shark was easily 15 feet long and observed some sort of tag on it. In the video, a child’s voice calls out warningly as the shark’s full size reveals itself: “Dad, dad, dad!”
“He’s fine,” Mottur responds.
“It’s massive! Dad he’s under the boat!”
“It’s fine,” Mottur reassures again.

Image source: YouTube
The seal’s carcass was not so lucky: the surrounding water quickly ran red as the shark thrashed and ate it over a 10-minute span.
Mottur told the Huffington Post that after the encounter he contacted Dr. Greg Skomal, a shark biologist and head of the Massachusetts Shark Research Program. Skomal said the tag Mottur spotted was likely an acoustic tag to transmit data about the shark’s movements.
“Skomal was very excited about the images and footage and this is apparently very rare to capture in this area,” Mottur said.
Video below — content warning — images may be disturbing for some:
(h/t Huffington Post)
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Comments (62)
R.A. Bullseye
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 9:36pmDid the shark check with Michelle Obama before he ate the seal? How about PETA?
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sndrman
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 10:06pmjust greens and tofu seal flavor…..?
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4xeverything
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 8:16amI can’t see Moochelle being happy with the seal’s BMI.
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R.A. Bullseye
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 9:27pmI’m glad I’m not a seal.
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rogerover12
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 8:40pmWho the hell reted this as disturbing. Have you ever seen wasserman schultz speak. Piranha 4 d
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TommyJH54
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 8:32pmI know exactly how that shark felt. I sat at a window seat at the Mayflower Restaurant in P-Town Mass several years ago eating my meal. When I looked up, there was a fairly large woman dressed in black eating a vanilla ice cream cone watching me eat my meal. I pointed to my plate then to her as if to offer her my meal. She laughed, mouth wide open, for all to see the large wad of vanilla ice cream in her mouth. I’ll never forget it. Animals watching animals!
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muddpuddle
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 9:59pmLol!
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4xeverything
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 7:58amEeeww!
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The Gooch
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 2:33pmThere’s a story that’ll keep you up at night.
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The-Monk
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 6:23pm“Look, he’s got a tag on him.”
No, no, no……. that’s not a tag, it’s his Government issued Seal eating permit. : )
Thank you Cass Sunstein. : (
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OUTRIDER WRITER
Posted on August 27, 2012 at 1:42pm@MONK
Good one, Monk! Could have been an award-winning photo caption.
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cja23
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 5:19pmHopefully these sickos filming this with children watching weren’t sitting in a small boat just waiting for the shark to come and charge their boat.
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The Gooch
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 5:27pm“The children! The children!! The children!!! Won’t somebody please think of the children!” Thank you, Helen Lovejoy.
I don’t really have the authority to make this claim, but, what the hell, here goes: No children were harmed in the making of this video.
Child Protective Services will not be needed, but thanks for asking.
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drininger
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 5:46pmHeaven forbid we watch an an act of nature! Hopefully the kids were wearing helmets, goggles,knee pads, elbow pads, safety straps, and bubble wrap to shield them from this horrible sight.
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drininger
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 5:47pmGod forbid the children watch nature in action!!
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wordweaver
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 9:40pmJust the circle of life playing out before their eyes. Nothing sick about it. Sick would be taking them to a **** fight or dog fight. Looks like they just happened into this.
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sndrman
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 10:13pmDarininger nature in action giggity giggity ……wish i had a camera way back then,i’d show nature in action……..if confused about giggity see quagmire from family guy show…………
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Salamander
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 4:45pmI always remind my crew: don’t ever forget–you’re not at the top of the food-chain out there! So, stay on the boat!
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Tankertony
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 2:44pmGreat White = Tea Party
Seal = Democrat party
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Daddymac10
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 1:53pmThat seal could easily be you. That’s why people shouldn’t swim in the ocean…
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rickfromthecape
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 2:25amYou used to be able to swim off chatham until the seals came (and crapped all over the beaches). I said then that the sharks wont be far behind and we should eliminate the seals, but the tree huggers won again. The seals were protected (they’re so cute!) and the shark attacks are just beginning.
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Impenitent
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 1:50pmDon’t allow Obama to take the credit for killing Bin Laden and get eaten by a shark…
oh… different seal…
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Not2old2c
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 1:19pmSo, I said to myself , when I saw this headline, “Why in the devil is the Blaze carrying this junk?” And, NO, I didn’t watch the video. Today, a small group of folks sweated all morning, packing, then delivering boxes of clothes to a humble pastor to the homeless for the homeless children who live in Florida’s Ocala Forrest. Nobody took pictures. They did what they have done before, and what needs to be done. The pastor humbly offers comfort to the innocent children. News without a higher purpose is just that….nonsense.
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The Jewish Avenger
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 1:46pmNext time if possible, get some footage.. for thats EXACTLY the reason why I come to this sight to have some hope and poditive church activity is what I need to hear
The rest is just poking fun and games….
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Halloween
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 1:48pmWhy is that news worthy? You sound selfish and self serving. Let me break out the trumpets and sound them to draw attention to your deeds and piety.
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The Gooch
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 1:53pmA vast number of us have recording devices in hand throughout the day. You’re right; you can’t use such gadgets when you’re doing something meaningful. Wait. Does driving count?
Can we relegate this to a “special interest” story? No need to blow a gasket. It’s not every day you come upon a 15′ fish eating another creature.
Then again, what the hell are you and I doing in this sandbox that matters? Think of it this way: At least it wasn’t another brawl at a restaurant.
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DeniseR55
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 2:29pmMaybe you should be more humble about what you do to help others because if you’re doing it to be praised for it, it doesn’t count because you did it for yourself. The fact that you placed the comment here says a lot about your motives. Sharing this video IS NOT selfish.
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Severe Starboard List
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 10:40pmI see God’s awesome majesty in nature. The idea of a fish that huge humbles me and I stand in awe of my Creator. It is the same feeling I get when I look at the stars and heavens and say who are we Father that you should love us so to give us this most precious gift of Your Son for our salvation? No greater no less than the work of the pastor, just different views of God’s love and majesty.
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JustJP
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 1:12pmSeal McMuffin
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P226
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 1:02pm“Slow ahead. I can go slow ahead. Come down here and chum some of this $#!t”
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sillyfreshness
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 1:18pmI keep hearing about how great whites are almost extinct, but they sure seem to show up a lot to be filmed.
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4xeverything
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 8:07amEgotistical camera-hogs!
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Armyof One
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 12:43pm………..we’re gonna need a bigger boat.
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thegreatcarnac
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 12:01pmSharks…you can’t live with them………….um…you can’t live with’em. They will eat you..literally.
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The Jewish Avenger
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 1:47pmThrow in a japanese chef with a couple of ginzus.
Ta da! Get the rice its sushi time!
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LeadNotFollow
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 12:00pm…
Did The Blaze really need to post a story like this?
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Sparhawk
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 1:01pm“Need?” No. “Want”? Apparently yes. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. It’s really that simple. They have the freedom to post it, you have the freedom to move along.
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The Gooch
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 2:00pmYes. It’s “Expose the Cranks Day”.
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Stoic one
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 8:06pmIf you do not want these kind of stories…do not click through to the story. the software counts the click through’s for the ‘relevancy’ . Oh yea you also accomplish the avoidance of said story.
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nuclear
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 11:59am“Family Films it”
Really? They were using film? I suppose the next article will mention that it was, “caught on tape.” Get with the technology, people!
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forthepeople
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 12:28pmI know your far from California ( left coast ) because they ( most all ) refer even today as ‘ Film ‘ . When is the last time you heard ‘ Tape at 11 ‘ on the news ? Your splitting hairs and I can not believe I’m even responding……. guilty in the mirror . .
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Sparhawk
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 1:16pmTalk about nit-picking.
* Do you still refer to “dialing” phone numbers, although it has been a long time since phones had dials?
* If you want to repeat a part of a movie that you just watched, which button on your DVD or Blu-Ray player do you press? Rewind? Are you actually winding something up again? “Rewind” means to wind the tape back up onto the beginning spool, like in the days of VHS tapes. Last time I checked, Blu-Ray discs don’t involve tape and spool, but the word is still commonly on the remote.
* If you have the TV on one channel and want to view a different channel but you don’t have the remote, do you ask someone else to “turn” the channel? How long has it been since rotary channel changers on TV, that you had to “turn” to change the channel?
* When you end a phone conversation, do you “hang up”? Hang what up on what?
Face it. Even you still use some words that don’t really make sense in the English language anymore, but we still use them because they were commonplace for so long.
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The Gooch
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 1:57pmNuclear?
Get with the times, man. It’s all about “green” now. Sheesh.
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Oneirishman
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 11:42amDah-da………….Dah-da………..Dah-da………Dah-da…….Dah-da……Dah-da….Dah-da…Dah-da..Dah-da.Dah-da Dah-daDah-daDuh-daDuh-daDuh-daDuh-da, Its a fact when your in a boat around a shark this big, your pretty safe until you hear the music.
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Lee_in_PA
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 11:34amMan… not the top of the food chain in the desert, jungle or on the sea.
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Oneirishman
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 11:50am…. or Jeffery Dahmars house.
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valarie
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 11:28amShow me the way to go home.. (hic!)
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Oneirishman
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 11:47amI’m tired and I wanna got to bed…..
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Polarized America
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 12:01pm.
I had a little drink about an hour ago ……
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Polarized America
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 8:15pm.
and it went right to my head ..
((well i waited over 8 hrs )))
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watersRpeople
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 11:11amThat’s real smart to sit there watching a Great White Shark as big as the boat in this day and age with your children.
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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 11:31amHow big was the boat though? If the shark was larger than I can understand there being a threat to all of those onboard, if the boat is much bigger, different story. Its a neat video though.
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BSdetector
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 11:37amJaws was just a movie, my friend, sharks don’t eat boats…
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1me2ao
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 12:46pmit is a boat and not a kayak, it is part of being in ocean.
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Dr. Sax
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 10:57amHere’s to swimmin’ with bow-legged women!
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bigdaddyt46
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 3:06amand swim between their legs, and swim between their legs. :D
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momrules
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 10:44amSharks……..beautiful, efficient and to me a least one of the scariest of God’s creatures. I read an accounting of the USS Indianapolis as a girl and for a landlubber like me that cured me of ever wanting to sail the seven seas. Jaws was just icing on the cake.
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RightUnite
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 10:52amI couldn’t agree more… ;-)
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TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 10:35amQuint: “I’m not talkin’ ’bout pleasure boatin’ or day sailin’. I’m talkin’ ’bout workin’ for a livin’. I’m talkin’ ’bout sharkin’!”
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salvawhoray
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 10:29amHooper Drives the boat Chief.
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