The 1975 summer blockbuster thriller Jaws was directed by master film
maker Steven Spielberg and was based on Peter Benchley’s novel of the
same name. Principal photography began on May 2, 1974 on the island of
Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. The location was reportedly chosen for the
sandy bottom of that part of the ocean. This helped the prop sharks to operate
smoothly and still provide a realistic location.

Filming a close up of one of the prop sharks

 
Director Spielberg in one of the prop sharks

From left to right : Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider, Steven Spielbert, and Richard
Dreyfuss during the filming of Jaws.