Maine Lobsterman Shocked By Bloody Shark Tooth

Jordan Piper made a chilling discovery while routinely hauling his traps - a tooth-shaped object protruding from one of his bright orange buoys.

“It was definitely a double take,” Piper told the Mount Desert Islander, recounting his reaction when he caught a glimpse of an object sticking out of the buoy.

When he saw blood on what he was quickly surmising was a shark's tooth, he was pretty sure what he had discovered.

After finding the tooth recently off Little Stave Island near Sorrento, Maine, he sent photos to the Maine Department of Marine Resources, which confirmed it to be from a great white shark.

Sharks have been known to bite buoys before, said Maine DMR Scientist Matt Davis, program lead for Highly Migratory Species Research.

“Some sharks, including white sharks, have been known to bite inanimate objects,” Davis said. “These are usually situational cases, but in the case of a fishing buoy, it’s possible the shark bit out of curiosity.”

It’s the first time Piper has discovered a shark tooth in the 10 years that he’s been fishing.

He described the tooth as fairly sharp, smooth and about 2.5 inches long.

“Photos don’t do it justice,” he said.