Question: Why didn't they bring stronger ammunition on the Orca to kill on-site when the shark is surfaced, instead of using barrels and playing the slow game?
lionhead
28th Jul 2023
Jaws (1975)
Answer: The barrels were also used to slow or even stop the shark from leaving. They were heavy, but it didn't slow him down. Quint said, "The shark can't go down with two barrels on him." When it did, Matt Hooper asked, "Have you ever seen a shark do that?" Quint replied, "Never."
Answer: They didn't want to lose it. If the thing surfaces and you start shooting at it or use explosives and you don't kill it, you will just scare it off and won't see it again. That is, until there is someone eaten again. They wanted to be sure to kill it, so you lure it, get it to surface with the barrels and then kill it properly. It's still just a fish.
13th Dec 2021
Jaws (1975)
Question: When Brody and Hooper find Ben Gardner's boat why does Hooper dive into the water to examine the bottom of the boat when he already knows there's a man-eating shark in the water? How does Hooper know the shark won't swim up behind (or underneath) him and devour him?
Answer: Because he is under the impression the shark has recently eaten and the digestive system of a shark works really slow so it won't be out hunting for a while. With a normal shark anyway.
Answer: Hooper wanted to inspect Gardner's boat as soon as possible to see what caused it to sink, and before the town locals towed it and possibly destroyed any evidence. As the other answer noted, Hooper knew the shark's eating habits. He was willing to take a calculated risk and which he was quite nervous about.
17th Oct 2020
Jaws (1975)
Join the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.
Answer: Agree with the other answers, but would add that both Quint and Hooper underestimated how big and powerful the shark would be. Until they were at sea, the shark wasn't fully seen and was likely expected to be about 15 feet and easier to kill with the weapons they had. As mentioned, the barrels were intended to slow down and exhaust the shark, keep it nearer the surface, and allow them to track and kill it.
raywest ★