PANAMA CITY BEACH (USA)- Sportsfishermen had the surprise of their lives when a great white shark bit their boat.

The skipper was out fishing for amberjacks on the Gulf of Mexico when he and two passengers in his 22-foot boat suddenly felt a thump.

At first they thought they had hit something, but being on 96 feet of water that was impossible. The shark had gone for the electric trolling motors, which held the boat above a 40-year-old shipwreck that was attracting amberjacks.

Concerned about damage to the $2,000 device, the skipper said he pulled the motor out of the shark’s mouth, bringing his hand to within 3 feet of the big teeth.

Great white sharks are rare in waters off Florida, although research in the past years shows that they do like the warmer waters in winter.

See the video of the shark swimming by:

What is it that makes boat engines so attractive to great white sharks?

Read an article on Discovery News.