On Tuesday, July 2, U.S. Coast Guard Station Boothbay Harbor caught a glimpse of a creature in the water about eight miles out to sea. The crew of the 47-foot lifeboat was out on a case when they slowed the engines, saw movement in the water, and began filming. It was almost undoubtedly a shark and crew members estimated the length at about 20 feet.

“I told the (crew) they could put the video up on Facebook, but they said “great white” so I made them change it to ‘a shark.’” said Chief Adam Smart.

Smart said the measurement was not official one. There were 10 crew members aboard and those who responded used the length of the boat as a base for their approximation, but there was almost no question it was a shark. Smart said, that much, everyone could agree on and the video speaks for itself especially when the dorsal fin comes into frame. The species of shark was just speculation. However, the estimation of 20 feet is near a great white’s maximum size of 21 feet.

“It’s a pretty cool video,” said Smart. “At the end of the day, it’s one of those rare moments when you catch an even rarer glimpse of the wildlife.”