Basking shark spotted in the Pocasset River

BOURNE, Mass. (WHDH) -- A man was coming in from a sail Wednesday when he said he spotted a basking shark in the Pocasset River.

“I’ve never seen a fish this big in here or near here,” said Rich Hill said.

A 12 to 14 foot basking shark flailed near shore in the Pocasset River. Basking sharks are considered to be harmless animals.

“We could see him coming in between the jetties just like the Jaws things where he comes in through,” Hill said.

At the time, Hill didn’t know what kind of shark it was.

“As you see it flopping around, it’s a very powerful animal,” Hill said.

The basking shark was hung up in shallow water.

“It was really just awesome. In the true sense of that word. Bears on Cape Cod? Big sharks in Pocasset River? It’s really bizarre,” Hill said.

The last time a basking shark was spotted so close to shore was two summers ago when one beached itself in Plymouth.