Two teenagers paddleboarding near Stony Beach in Cape Cod had a shock on the Fourth of July when they came face to face with a great white shark. A photo taken by one of the teens, Madeleine Cronin, shows the shark’s dorsal fin emerging from the water — just metres from her friend, Margaret Bowles, who was lying flat on her paddleboard at the time. The pair had been enjoying the water for hours before the fin appeared in the frame, unnoticed until after the image was taken.
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Speaking to CBS News, Bowles said her heart sank when she saw the fin so close. A second photograph captured the moment she realised the danger. Cronin said she was watching Bowles’ expression change from relaxed to horrified as she looked through her phone screen. The shark passed within a foot of Cronin, who said she could physically feel it glide past. The teens acted quickly, paddling frantically to shore — with Cronin paddling so hard she snapped her oar in the process.
Once safely out of the water, the girls reported the sighting to the Sharktivity app, which tracks shark activity along the coast. Marine expert John Chisholm, from the New England Aquarium, confirmed that the shark was indeed a great white, identifying its pointed dorsal fin and estimating its size to be roughly the same as the teens’ paddleboards. Although shark sightings in the area are uncommon, the incident served as a chilling reminder of the wildlife beneath the surface.
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Despite the terrifying moment, both girls were praised for remaining calm. Bowles said she was proud that neither of them panicked or fell off their boards. Cronin, meanwhile, admitted she would be taking a short break from the ocean but insisted she would return soon.
