A fishing trip off the coast of Economy, N.S. turned into an uncomfortably close encounter with a great white shark Sunday.
Millard Ells had been out on the water with his partner Ariana Smith and their friend Tim Mills in Millsâ 19-foot (5.8-metre) aluminum boat when Ells hooked a fish.
âAt the time, we were fighting a striped bass, a decent sized one, probably 16 pounds, our second or third bite of the day,â Ells told CTV Atlantic. âNice fish.â
âWe were just waiting for it to surface so we could net it and get it in the boat,â Mills added. âAnd out of nowhere, the shark jumps out of the water and takes the bass.â
Ells had to cut the fishing line as the shark swam away.
âProbably, you know, the biggest adrenaline rush that Iâve ever had in my life to see something like that,â Ells recalled.
, who later sent a copy of the video to the in Massachusetts, which confirmed that they had encountered a great white.
The shark was estimated to be about ten feet (three metres) long and between 600 and 800 pounds (272.2 and 362.9 kilograms).
Smith told CTV Atlantic that she feels lucky to have captured the encounter on camera.
âI think itâs important to give some attention to sharks,â she said. âI think if people see them that they should report them to (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) so they can continue doing their research.â
âItâs nice to have the video,â Mills added. âBut I think Iâd rather have the fish.â
With a report from CTV Atlanticâs Dan McIntosh