A fishing trip off North Carolina’s Outer Banks turned into a close encounter with hundreds of sharks after a feeding frenzy erupted around an angler’s watercraft, according to video and social media posts shared this week, as reported by MSN [1].
The incident occurred on Monday near Cape Point, a well-known fishing area along the Outer Banks.
Pro surfer Brent Barley said he was fishing on a Sea-Doo when he suddenly found himself surrounded by sharks feeding on a large school of bait fish.
Video from the scene shows sharks circling and leaping from the water as Barley reacts to the situation. At one point, he can be heard shouting, “Get me out of here,” as the animals move toward his personal watercraft.
Barley described the event in a social media post dated April 13, outlining the scale of the feeding activity and the species involved.
“A massive shark feeding frenzy engulfed my Sea-Doo while I was out fishing today!” Barley wrote.
“And on top of the hundreds of sharks eating bait over a 4-acre wide area, a big school of red drum blitzed in to join the party! Sharks and drum coexisting to devour menhaden … Would not recommend being in the middle of a ball of spinner sharks though. … I’m very fortunate one didn’t sky right into me.”
Footage shows multiple sharks breaching the surface in rapid succession, with at least one striking Barley’s Sea-Doo. The activity continued as the fish pursued menhaden, a common bait species in the region.
Barley identified the sharks as spinner sharks, a species known for their acrobatic behavior.
According to the North Carolina Sea Grant program, spinner sharks can grow up to 10 feet in length and are known for “a habit of making spinning leaps out of the water.”
The video quickly gained traction online, drawing more than 200,000 views on Facebook by April 15, along with thousands of reactions and comments from viewers.
Several users described the footage as alarming.
“In all my years of beach life, I have never seen anything like this before! Talk about wild!” one commenter wrote.
“This is crazy, awesome, and totally nuts!! Glad you caught it on camera and came out unscathed! I would have brought out the Minnie Mouse voice,” another user said.
Cape Point is located approximately 240 miles southeast of Raleigh and is known for its fishing activity that attracts both anglers and marine life.
The video highlights the presence of large predator activity in the area, particularly during feeding events involving bait fish schools.
Barley’s account and the accompanying footage provide a detailed look at the conditions that can develop when multiple species converge in a concentrated feeding zone.