Underwater Video Captured of Shark Tearing Apart Seal Off the Cape

You know how they say the more you know about sharks the less fearful of them you become? The more in awe of their majesty, the more respect for their raw power and place among oceanic wonders?

OK, fine, but imagine getting torn to shreds underwater in the jaws of a great white, your flesh just flopping around like so much seaweed in the salty currents.

You don’t have to imagine it, however, because the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy last night shared footage of an 11-foot female shark digging into a grey seal as it swam past a research vessel, a rare sight offering a glimpse of what it’s like to get murdered by a sea creature beneath the water’s surface.

“Best way to describe the footage…Badass!” the Conservancy wrote on Facebook.

The videographer was Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries’ Dr. Greg Skomal, who captured the minute-long clip on a GoPro. He told the Boston Globe today that he stuck the camera in the water at the end of a pole. It was the first time the nonprofit shark trackers have ever recorded video of an underwater feasting, the Conservancy told the paper.

To be fair, you shouldn’t actually fear sharks while enjoying the waters off Cape Cod. Even though it happens, it’s still rare for the beasts to attack people. Plus, you have the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy to thank for a new app called Sharktivity, which allows beachgoers to track the movements of sharks in the area. It alerts users when sharks are sighted, and also logs user-reported sightings.

Sharks also, by the way, play an important role in the ecosystem, and conservation efforts help keep them alive.

But still: Ahh!