SURF CITY, N.J. — A small shark was captured on video swimming through a flooded residential neighborhood in Surf City, New Jersey, after a powerful nor’easter brought significant coastal flooding to the Jersey Shore on Saturday, September 26.

The video, recorded by Surf City resident Drew Procaccino, shows the shark’s dorsal fin moving through the floodwater in front of homes. Procaccino told Storyful that he spotted the animal around noon. It briefly disappeared near a driveway before later being seen heading west toward Barnegat Bay.

It wasn’t a great white

Despite the dramatic appearance, experts say the animal was not a great white shark.

Shark researcher Dr. Greg Skomal of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries reviewed the footage and identified the animal as a smooth dogfish (Mustelus canis). Another marine expert, Rutgers Marine Field Station director Thomas “Motz” Grothues, also identified it as a smooth dogfish.

Smooth dogfish are common along the Jersey Shore. They have blunt teeth and primarily eat crustaceans, squid and fish. The species can reach roughly 5 feet in length, although the size of the shark in this particular video was not established.

How did a shark get into the neighborhood?

Surf City is located on Long Beach Island, between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay.

The nor’easter pushed large amounts of water into normally dry areas of the coastal community. Reports said floodwaters reached as high as approximately four feet in parts of Surf City, creating an unusual pathway for marine life from nearby waters.

The shark was subsequently seen moving back toward Barnegat Bay.

The bigger story was the storm

The unusual shark encounter happened amid a much more serious weather event. The nor’easter brought heavy rain, powerful winds and significant coastal flooding along portions of the Northeast.

New Jersey experienced particularly severe coastal impacts, with wind gusts reaching roughly 74 mph in some locations. The storm also caused power outages and flooding in multiple coastal communities.

Fortunately, no shark attack was reported in connection with the Surf City video.

The remarkable footage quickly spread online, turning an already unusual storm into an unforgettable Jersey Shore sight.

Sources: Storyful, USA TODAY/Reuters, Associated Press, and reporting citing marine researchers.