I know some people with serious shark phobias; the kind that even if you called "shark!" in a swimming pool they would look around for the danger. I don't feel this fear to the same level, but it's hard not to be a little creeped out when you see them in nature documentaries hunting for food. There's something about their staring eyes and rows of jagged teeth that gets under your skin.
And that's just one of them. I don't fancy my chances getting caught out in the water with a shark nearby, but if there was more than one I would be royally screwed, that's for certain. Now, imagine that instead of a trio of sharks to deal with, you had an entire swarm of them, with numbers in the thousands. After reading this, you may be put off any vacations to Florida's beaches any time soon.
In an annual trip, thousands of Blacktip Sharks migrate past the east coast of Florida. These sharks range from five to six feet in length and weigh in between 60 and 80 pounds.
While they're normally wary of humans, this species can become aggressive when in the presence of food and have been known for a number of attacks on people.
With countless Blacktip sharks migrating along the east coast, the region can become a little dangerous. Add to that the fact that they stick close to the beaches as they follow schools of mullet and other baitfish, and you have a problem for many beachgoers. These particular sharks will keep to themselves for the most part, but can cause a problem for Spring Breakers partying on the beaches and in the ocean.
"The shark migration normally peaks this time of year," NBC Meterologist and surf forecaster James Wieland wrote in a tweet, which included a video of the sharks. "Shark experts say just offshore is the "shark super-highway" where thousands of sharks are on the move this time of year".
The YouTube channel BlacktipH Fishing also has some footage of this natural phenomenon. Hosted by extreme angler Josh Jorgensen, who regularly films big game fishing, you can see the Blacktip sharks from the overhead view of a drone. But what's surprising about this footage is the appearance of giant Hammerhead sharks that are nearly three times the size of the Blacktips, hunting the smaller sharks.
"One of the most amazing sights that I've ever seen is a giant great hammerhead shark hunting blacktip sharks," Josh wrote. "This past winter, I filmed some incredible drone footage of giant great hammerheads hunting blacktip sharks in the shallow coastal waters of Florida."
He also noted that there were multiple hammerhead sharks sighted, ranging between 12 and 14 feet long, and the biggest hammerhead estimated to weigh 1000lbs. Without Hammerheads picking them off, the migration can be huge, with 10,000 or more of them swimming together all at once.
How does that beach holiday sound now?
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