Florida video shows shark near swimmers, beach

A large shark was spotted near swimmers celebrating Independence Day at a beach in Florida on Monday, as seen in a video taken by a fellow beachgoer.

The video obtained by CNN shows swimmers rushing toward the shore from what appears to be a large shark on the shore of Navarre Beach in Florida. Cristy Cox, who took the video and shared it online, told the Pensacola News Journal the shark was chasing fish.

“The shark was just trying to feed as they are expected and just passed by swimmers,” Cox said. “Everyone was stunned as it moved down the beach chasing the school of fish. We all just have to remember this is natural, and we are in their home, so stay alert!”

In the video, people could be heard calling for swimmers to clear the water due to the shark spotting.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, sharks are most active in Florida waters between April and October, which is when humans are most likely to be swimming. Although sharks may be closer to the shores then, the commission noted that shark attacks are very rare, and someone is 30 times more likely to be struck by lightning in Florida than be attacked by a shark.

The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File reported that in 2022, there were 41 unprovoked shark bites in the U.S., including 16 in Florida.

There have been at least 19 shark attacks in the United States so far this year, according to CBS News. This includes five shark attack bites that happened in two days over the holiday weekend off the coast of New York, NBC News reported.

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