Maine fishermen aren’t afraid of great white sharks. They’re fascinated.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 12, 2025

Movies like “Jaws” — the 1975 hit starring a villainous (fictional) great white  — have fueled a perception that fishermen are at risk while they work with bloody bait and submerge their arms into the water to haul traps and buoys. But experts say fishermen — and swimmers — are largely safe from the apex predators off the Maine coast. Fishermen here seem mostly fascinated by the creatures.