Video has surfaced of a November 12 shark attack in the Columbia River.
Josh Robb and his father-in-law were crabbing in the Columbia River near Warrenton when they saw a seal bleeding in the water.
Robb quickly pulled out his phone and started recording. Unsure off what was going on, the men can be heard trying to figure out what was attacking the seal. One of the witnesses says it might be a killer whale. They didn’t have to wait long to confirm it was a shark when they saw a fin break the surface.
While it appears to be a great white shark, it is very heard to confirm. Biologists from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the video, but were unable to confirm the shark species.
Indicators that identify the shark include the general shape of the tail and the brownish coloration on the dorsal. These could also suggest the shark may have been a salmon shark.
“I am pretty sure it is a salmon shark, the closest living relative to the great white shark. There is a chance it could be a small great white shark,” Lynn Mattes, who is with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, told King 5.
Both great white and salmon sharks belong to the same mackerel shark family, although great whites grow much larger than salmon sharks.
“I don’t think it’s very common to see (a) shark in the area of the Columbia River, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there,” said Rick Hargrave, spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Department.
Last month a surfer was bitten by a great white shark off the coast of Oregon. Joseph Tanner was sitting on his board off Indian Beach at Ecola State Park when he was bitten on the thigh. He spent nine days in the hospital as he recovered from the wound.
