Photographer speaks about face-to-face encounter with massive shark off Jupiter
RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — At a marina in Jupiter, Captain John Moore arranged a few items on his boat moments before sitting down to speak with CBS12 News. His day of work, which consists of exhilarating adventures off the coast of Jupiter, usually starts with a look at the current sea conditions and the forecast.
Friday’s conditions are not looking too promising. Rip currents are a threat and for a guy who free-dives to the depths of the sea to photograph some of the most majestic creatures in the world, he refused to take the chance. But a couple of weeks ago, he went out for a dive that soon shocked the world and went viral.
See also: Massive shark spotted off Jupiter
"She came powering right up through the bulls,” said Moore as he described his encounter with a massive bull shark off the coast of Palm Beach County. “She was super dominant, just right in the forefront of everything.”
Moore is a captain with the longtime-running diving company Florida Shark Diving. He heads up the local operations.
Miles off the shore in South Florida, in a sea of Bull Sharks, Moore captured awe-inspiring photos that went viral.
The 55-year-old man snapped photos of what appeared to be an oversized pregnant bull shark. He was close enough to see its razor-sharp teeth and yellow-tinted eyes while diving earlier this month.
His close-range photo shows the shark feeding off the coast of Jupiter.
Moore, who is an experienced diver, photographer, and conservation advocate, shares his pictures of sharks on Instagram.
Florida has the highest concentration of large sharks along its surrounding coastline than anywhere else on the East Coast.
There are sharks present year-round which makes Florida one of the best places to dive with sharks in the world.
Moore came face-to-face with a bull shark, which typically one of the most aggressive sharks in the ocean and is perhaps the world's most dangerous shark.
Bull sharks are at home in both offshore and inshore water along with fresh water. Bull sharks are big heavy bodied sharks that are often found in packs. They are sometimes wary of divers but if food is present can become very aggressive. They range from 5-14 feet long and can weigh over 1,500 pounds.
