WOODS HOLE, MASS. (WHDH) - It was July 4, and Margaret Bowles was with her high school buddy Maddie Cronin.
She was on her paddle board in the waters off Stony Beach in Woods Hole.
The two were snapping pictures for Instagram when the smile quickly wiped off their faces.
“Once we were back to shore I was kinds like ‘No way! they aren’t here,'” said Bowles.
The young women sent their photos to shark experts, and the Division of Marine Fisheries confirmed it was, in fact, a great white shark!
“It took a second to register that was what happened but it was a complete surprise. I’ve spent years teaching marine biology here and swimming in the ocean. I certainly never expected for a great while shark to wander my way,” said Bowles.
Bowles says she’s grateful they had a paddle board separating them from the shark.
“I’m grateful both of us kept our cool and were bale to make it back. Once we were back on shore we joked he was lost on his way to Chatham and stopped to ask for directions,” said Bowles.
They even gave the shark a name, “Steve,” and say this sighting won’t keep them from the water.
“I’ve already gone swimming since then, I love the ocean, what happened was incredibly unlikely and I’m gonna take a break from swimming back and forth over there in my wet suit cause they seem unadvisable,” said Bowles. “Hopefully Steve moves on and I’ll get back to it.”
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