Ocean anomalies never cease to amaze. And there is no doubt that great white sharks are an anomaly, even though sometimes their myth makes us feel like they’re an everyday occurrence in the ocean. But those anomalies are especially jarring when we get to see them like this. We’ve all come across plenty of videos of great whites cruising next to boats, giant ones to be sure. But I don’t know how I missed this video of a great white shark exploding through the water to steal a tuna from a fisherman. And the crowd’s reaction was worth its weight in viral gold.
This actually happened back in March on an expedition to capture footage of great whites led by neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman. He is an associate professor of neurobiology at Stanford and the team he was leading was apparently associated with that esteemed university in Palo Alto. They were conducting a study regarding fear and anxiety with regards to virtual reality stimulus. The location of the theft wasn’t disclosed but apparently, the team was fishing for dinner when it got this rather ironic surprise. Not VR. Actual reality.
“We wanted tuna for our dinner, and we had one on the line,” wrote Huberman in a well-read Instagram post, that shows a better view of the incident, below. “We were expecting a meal. A local great white reminded us that when they are around, humans eat last. However, the reward of seeing it breach was greater than the meal we would’ve had. I’ll also never forget that incident because when we get a big and unexpected release of dopamine, it leaves an indelible mark on our memory.”
Yes, that’s certainly some realtime stimulus.
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