Cape Breton tuna fisherman A.D. MacLean had encountered sharks before, but it wasn’t until mid-October that he encountered his first Great White.

Similar to Ernest Hemingway’s novel, The Old Man and the Sea, this shark was attracted by the tuna that MacLean and his crew had just caught.

After catching a tuna, says MacLean, it’s necessary to “swim the fish” near the boat. That lowers its body temperature and keeps the meat from spoiling, he explains.

He and his crew did that with their catch as they pointed their boat, Makin’ Wake, toward their home port of Mabou, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

But as they motored home, a Great White Shark struck, taking a big bite out of the tuna.

“It took the whole tail off the fish,” says MacLean.

But the shark was still hungry. “It came up a second time and took a bite out of the side.”

The approach of the Great White behind the boat caused a ripple of excited energy among the crew. “We were confused at first – didn’t know what to do in the moment. We had to get the tuna in before the shark came back a third time.”

MacLean estimates the shark weighed between 1,200 and 1,500 pounds.

MacLean’s son, Connor, videoed the shark’s approach. His wife Valerie posted the video on her Facebook page.