Shark Week shocker as great white breaches just yards from oblivious boogie boarder

A large achromatic shark was caught connected video launching itself retired of the h2o conscionable yards down a boogie boarder astatine Newport Beach — creating a shocking country astatine the fashionable Southern California destination.

The household down the camera had nary thought what they had captured until they reviewed the footage hours later.

"We were praying connected the beach, and we were like, 'Hopefully a occurrence happens. That'd beryllium super-cool [if] a occurrence happens,'" Soaren Stevenson, a California-based assemblage ministry person who filmed the video, told Fox News Digital successful an interrogation Tuesday.

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As the household replayed the footage, Stevenson said helium wasn't definite what helium was seeing. 

Then helium zoomed in. "I was like, 'That's not adjacent a dolphin — that's a shark.'"

A large achromatic shark is seen successful the video supra breaching conscionable yards down a boogie boarder astatine Newport Beach. (Soaren Stevenson via Storyful)

No 1 other connected the formation appeared to announcement the shark, Stevenson said.

"He decidedly didn't cognize however adjacent it was," Stevenson said of his brother-in-law, who was boogie boarding conscionable up of the breaching shark. 

"I was like, 'That's not adjacent a dolphin, that's a shark.'"

Although helium grew up successful Hawaii and has encountered sharks before, the brother-in-law viewed the full incidental arsenic "a once-in-a-lifetime-type experience," Stevenson said.

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The brushwood near Stevenson with a caller appreciation for animals that stock the water with surfers and swimmers.

"It's benignant of surreal to deliberation that the shark is successful the aforesaid waters arsenic my [brother-in-law], and helium didn't adjacent cognize it," Stevenson said.

Soaren Stevenson, who filmed the video, said helium and his household were praying connected the beach, hoping "a occurrence happens," earlier the shocking brushwood unfolded. (Soaren Stevenson via Storyful)

"It conscionable makes maine recognize that erstwhile you spell retired determination to surf, you tin travel mode person to specified a beast than you ever deliberation you [would]."

Despite the adjacent encounter, Stevenson said helium doesn't program to enactment retired of the water.

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"I don't deliberation they privation to devour us," helium said — adding that beachgoers should inactive stay alert and enactment safe.

The breaching happened conscionable arsenic Shark Week 2026 kicked off, which Stevenson called "a comic small coincidence."

Soaren Stevenson captured a large achromatic shark launching itself retired of the h2o conscionable yards down a boogie boarder — his ain brother-in-law — astatine Newport Beach. (Soaren Stevenson)

While the footage appears alarming, shark incidents involving radical stay rare.

Fewer than 250 documented shark incidents involving each shark taxon person occurred successful the authorities since 1950, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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The section besides notes that shark incidents person not accrued proportionally contempt increasing formation attendance and the rising popularity of activities specified arsenic surfing, swimming and scuba diving.

Even aft the frightening adjacent call, immoderate radical accidental they person nary volition of avoiding the ocean. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital precocious reported that a Georgia antheral successful his aboriginal 20s was hospitalized aft suffering a shark wound portion helping his large fiancée get to information astatine a Florida beach.

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Volusia County Beach Safety officials said the antheral was wading successful waist-deep h2o adjacent the Dunlawton Beach Approach successful Daytona Beach Shores erstwhile a shark estimated to beryllium astir 4 feet agelong spot his near ft and ankle.

He was treated astatine the country earlier being transported to a adjacent infirmary with non-life-threatening injuries.