A terrifying video of sharks chasing the feet of unwitting swimmers on a crowded beach has gone viral.
The July 4 sighting took the internet by storm as some viewers were shocked to see so many sharks close to shore.
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Experts believe the group was likely female leopard sharks that swam to shallow waters to shorten their pregnancies.
But it’s easy to see why the image of a crowded beach with happy swimmers wading unsuspectingly in the water while sharks swim nearby evokes feelings of unease.
“Most people on the beach had no idea what was going on there,” said Tim Faes, who shot the video at Pirate’s Cove near Avila Beach in California.
“I’ve certainly never seen anything like it,”
After spotting the sharks, Faes video and shared it online.
“It’s usually a school of fish, but not that big of a group of sharks. It was a bit unbelievable in some ways,” he told the local news station KSBY†
The video received a lot of attention and was shared via social media platforms, such as TikTok.
“It’s really weird. It’s the only time I’ve had anything to do with my children lately,” says Faes.
“I don’t have a TikTok account, but a few people have contacted me and asked for permission to use the video.”
Fortunately, experts have clarified that leopard sharks are a small, harmless species.
“I love seeing them, they’re beautiful animals, kind of gray with some dark spots,” said Benjamin Ruttenberg, director of Cal Poly’s Center for Coastal Marine Sciences.
“They are graceful swimmers, often hanging in and around kelp beds.”
The experts say the pregnant females were likely seeking warm water in the shallow area near the coast in an effort to speed up their pregnancy.
“If people get a chance to see them, that’s pretty cool. They have to be careful going into these areas so as not to scare the females off,” said Christopher Lowe, director of the CSU Long Beach shark lab.
“If you’re really quiet and you’re paddling a kayak out there or you’re snorkeling there and don’t disturb them, it’s great to watch.”
OTHER SHARK VALUESN
However, not all shark species are harmless and while fatal shark attacks are rare, it is best for swimmers to exercise caution when dealing with them. the marine predators are spotted.
A gruesome video from Cape Cod showed the moment when water turned red with blood during a brutal shark attack.
Kim Reilly was on vacation with her family when a shark started attacking a seal around 8:30 am on the north side of Nauset Outer Beach.
It’s unclear how many feet offshore the shark was, but Reilly said “you can see in part of the video where the wave breaks, it was VERY VERY VERY close!!!”
she shared the 45 second clip on Facebook, which can be troubling as the seal’s blood spills into the water during the attack.
Reilly described death as “horrifying to watch, but I couldn’t turn away!!!
“Slowest death ever, I’m scarred for life…”
A shark sighting was confirmed by the Atlantic White Shark Conservation on its Sharktivity app.
According to experts, the marine predators tend to feed close to shore at dusk, and great white sharks have been known to track seal populations to the area in recent years.
Shark season starts at the beginning of summer and lasts until early October, with beaches regularly closing due to sightings.
TRUE ATTACK
The sightings come after a 17-year-old cheerleader was mauled by a ten-foot shark in June.
Addison Bethea was shelling the shore of Keaton Beach, Florida, next to her brother, Rhett Willingham, when she felt something against her leg.
Moments later, she battled the shark, which bit her several times before Addison’s brother helped her separate her from the beast.
Rhett, a firefighter and EMT, and other boaters helped tie a tourniquet to control Addison’s bleeding until she was airlifted to a trauma center.
Addison’s mother, Michelle Bethea, said the teen had to undergo complex surgery and suffered a loss of her quadriceps in her right leg, as well as massive nerve and vascular damage.
the cheerleader had to have her leg amputated slightly above her right knee at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, where she is recovering.
Despite the attack, which Michelle calls a “crazy accident,” she insists her daughter will be back in the water.
“You can’t stop living your life because this happened,” she said.
“The water was clear, a calm day and she had a swimming buddy,” added the mother of four.
Michelle is optimistic that her “tough and strong” daughter will adapt well to this big life change and said Addison’s attitude remains positive.
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