Rare Shark Feeding Frenzy in North Carolina

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Published 2014-10-13

On Thursday, October 9 at around noon, while at a retreat at Cape Lookout National Seashore off the coast of North Carolina, the leaders of One Harbor Church witnessed a shark feeding frenzy. The men were out fishing for the evening’s dinner when they stumbled across more than 100 sharks attacking a school of blue fish. As seagulls and pelicans joined in on the meal, the men began to cast into the surf, catching fish without the use of bait. For more than five minutes, the sharks were observed swimming in and out of the surf, some of which became beached in the fury. Donnie Griggs, the cameraman who captured the footage, is an avid waterman who spearfishes, dives, swims and surfs at Cape Lookout often. We want it to be clear that Cape Lookout and the surrounding beaches of Eastern North Carolina are extremely safe for swimming. The presence of these sharks and large schools of fish is actually a sign of a very healthy ecosystem.

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All Comments (21)

@viceroyzh 9 years ago

"extremely safe for swimming"? for sharks, yes
@killerluuk 9 years ago

Thank you for filming this :)
@aquaticterrafirma 6 years ago

This happens every fall, you have to be at the right place at the right time. Finger mullets are making the run out the inlet, the drum are waiting for them and the sharks are waiting for the drum. I have seen this 10-=15 times in my 25 years on the NC coast fishing. I have had to jump as the sharks go between my legs while casting to the drum. Its a special thing to witness, I do charter and for more info and if you want to see this and catch one fish after the other let me know.
@riverbankfisher 3 years ago

This looks like an ideal place for me to work on my shark-wrangling skills.
@SadieLouLassman 9 years ago

WOW thank you for catching that and sharing it with us all! What a sight to behold in the wild! I would have never seen it otherwise!
@visualway4me 6 years ago

I've seen Blues push the mullet up on the shoreline twice in my lifetime and it is rare, but never the sharks, what a rush! We raced to tie on silver spoons to pull in Bluefish at Harkers in 1993. Okracoke was where the second encounter.. it was so amazing. I say ban the commercials , pay the locals to oversee, manage, be the caretakers of the greatest gem North Carolina holds (to me), The Outer Banks, there' no place on earth like it.
@TopLists 9 years ago

First ever viral video that was actually shot horizontally.
@PaulPeck 9 years ago

Great capture Brian Recker!
@toutagamon 9 years ago

This is where Chuck Norris takes his morning swim!

(yeah chuck again, problem?)
@JahRasta01 9 years ago

"C'mon in boys, the water is fine."
@zoltantarsoly8353 8 years ago

Thank you for the great video and I respect you for letting the shark go in strad of killing it. We need more fishermen like you two. Thanks again. Zoltan
@hotelkilo006 9 years ago

I like that this is a viral video that was shot properly in landscape and not portrait. Good job!
@Caleta280 9 years ago

Finally they are back! We needed the sharks back since the sting rays have been consuming all the scallops and other species. Thankfully they are back!
@BlacktipH 9 years ago

Awesome video! I love it when they feed like that!
@visualway4me 6 years ago

Thank You for sharing this video Mr. Recker.
@nahnah8265 9 years ago

Oh my god!!!! That is incredible!!!!! I"ve never seen anything like that!!!!
@SHOORTYS 9 years ago

Awesome footage! Bait must have been stacked!
@Livens64 9 years ago

I saw the same kind of sharks feeding on some type of bait fish at Edisto Beach State this past weekend. There were 100s of sharks, maybe 1000. It was spread over about 1/4 mile square, starting just beyond the breakers. Lasted about 20 minutes with surface strikes, some of them jumping strikes, about every 5 seconds. Lots of pelicans joining in on the spectacle. Amazing to see. I go to various beaches in the area about once a week from 1st of May to the end of October and have never seen anything like it before.
@dvir5819 9 years ago

Wow.that is a lot of sharks.good thing you got that on film! Nice video!
@cbrady2k8 9 years ago

Tomorrow is the 4th of July, and we are going to open for business. It's going to be our best summer in years. If you're so concerned about the beaches, you two, you do whatever you have to to keep them safe, but with you or without you, those beaches will be open for this weekend.