A large shark estimated between 10 and 13 feet has been filmed off the coast of Portugal, sparking speculation it could be a great white. The video, taken during a boat tour near Nazaré, shows the creature circling the vessel before moving into deeper water.
Sighting off Nazaré
The shark was spotted about two nautical miles offshore, between São Martinho do Porto and Nazaré, an area famous for record-breaking waves that attract surfers. The footage was captured on 25 July and uploaded to Instagram by boat-tour company Ocean Adventures and Nuno Santos.
In the caption, Ocean Adventures wrote: “This morning, between São Martinho do Porto and Nazaré, about 2MN from land, we spotted a large shark during a walk.” They added: “The animal, 3/4m long, approached the boat and swam around us for a short moment.”
Possible great white
Although the species has not been confirmed, Nuno Santos told Portuguese outlet SIC Notícias that the shark had a “white ventral area suggesting that it could be a great white shark”. The video shows a dorsal fin breaking the surface close to the vessel.
The footage has been viewed more than 670,000 times on social media, with commenters debating whether it is a great white. One person wrote: “White shark, this dorsal fin doesn’t fool...” Another claimed: “It’s a white shark. For days I was diving and I found it, it was devouring a small seal. I was less than 10 meters away from it and it didn’t even look at me.”
However, some were sceptical, with one commenter saying: “White shark in these waters?? I doubt it!”
Behaviour and rarity
Ocean Adventures noted they did not feel threatened, saying the animal “showed calm behaviour and even curiosity”. Great whites are known to travel long distances and have occasionally been recorded in the Mediterranean and wider North Atlantic, but sightings close to mainland Portugal are rare.
The shark eventually swam away from the boat and disappeared into deeper water. The possibility of a great white in the surf-famous area has caused concern among beachgoers.
