The shark, which was spotted feeding on a whale in Kennebunk, isn’t tagged, scientists say.
The retired captain of a charter fishing boat in southern Maine captured some incredible images of a shark feeding on a whale carcass off the coast of Drake's Island in Wells on Friday morning.
"It's kind of a cool thing. Fun to watch," said Steve Brettell, who snapped the photos.
Brettell, who ran a charter fishing business for over 30 years before retiring last year, said he was heading out to check some lobster traps when he got a call from a friend who said there was a dead whale a couple miles away with several sharks around it.
By the time he got there, Bretell said he only saw one shark around the whale.
"I was there about a half hour," he said. "He just circled around, circled around and every once in a while he'd come up and take a bite. It was fun to watch. He was a big guy."
Brettell said what was left of the whale eventually washed ashore at Mother's Beach in Kennebunk on Friday afternoon -- "right in the middle of a million people."
Local
The exact species of shark is not yet known, but speculation among residents is that it was either a porbeagle or a great white.
Police said no beaches were closed in either town.
Listen to our free podcast, "Shark Tales," which explores the world of sharks in New England with our partners at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. It's on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can see more images of the shark below:
