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20-Foot Shark Compared to “Jaws” on 50th Anniversary (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated May 29, 2025 2:24 PM ET

As movie theaters gear up for throwback screenings of the iconic 1975 film, Jaws, in honor of the 50th anniversary, a real-life behemoth shark showed up in the waters of Rhode Island, not far from the fictional East Coast town of Amity featured in the movie (and original Peter Benchley book).

But this wasn’t a bloodthirsty beast, as seen in the film and novel. This was a basking shark, estimated around 20 feet long. Basking sharks are the second largest fish and shark, behind whale sharks, and their diet consists of plankton – hence the large, wide-open mouth and non-aggressive nature. The species can be found worldwide, but locals were still surprised to see the colossus. Check it out:

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A post shared by Atlantic Shark Institute (@atlantic_shark)

According to the Atlantic Shark Institute, which posted footage of the shark sighting:

“We got a number of calls yesterday as people on Block Island, RI were treated to quite the scene, kicking off the 2025 summer season! We got some wonderful video but loved this one from Jen Seebeck who was enjoying dinner at Dead Eye Dicks when she noticed the fin slicing through the water inside Great Salt Pond. Clearly a very large shark and reminiscent of a scene from Jaws on this 50th anniversary of the film.”

Sounds like dinner and a show at the awesomely-named Dead Eye Dicks establishment.

The sighting comes as the seasons start to change – on both coasts – and the water gets warmer, which can lead to more shark activity. “Sharks are arriving in Rhode Island daily as water temperatures continue to rise and more and more species of shark find them suitable to their liking,” continued the Atlantic Shark Institute.

Meanwhile, further south in North Carolina, a swimmer was reportedly bitten by a shark of unknown species on Wednesday. The victim was okay, however, requiring only 11 stitches to the leg.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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