Overview

• Atlantic Shark Institute confirmed a 26-second underwater video of a great white near Block Island, posting the clip publicly before announcing the finding Tuesday.
• Officials said it is the first time their baited remote underwater video systems have documented a white shark in Rhode Island waters.
• Researchers assessed the animal as likely a juvenile, possibly a young-of-the-year, based on its size.
• The BRUV program is deployed about 10 times per season with six-hour recording intervals and, in four years, had never captured a great white until this encounter.
• Scientists note smaller white sharks tend to linger in Rhode Island while larger individuals move north earlier in the season, and the species’ slow reproduction makes juvenile sightings especially valuable.