Why did a veteran touch a great white shark on a tagging trip off Georgia?

Jimmy Armill, a former US Army Ranger who runs Not Lucky Fishing, filmed a veteran reaching for a hooked great white's head as it lunged back. He told the BBC that having a great white beside the boat feels magical and that something can come over people. His crew said she was never in danger, and the trips let veterans help catch, tag and release sharks for scientific research.

Armill's first great white was an eight-foot juvenile that circled his boat three times in winter.
The first one he brought alongside weighed about a thousand pounds.
Tagged sharks are named after fallen veterans, which Armill says means a great deal to their families.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Global News Podcast (2026-10-29). Read the whole episode summary →

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