DM: Some fins up! 100,000 sharks mass off Florida's beaches

Some fins up! 100,000 sharks mass off Florida's beaches

This is quite a shark tale.

Pilot Steve Irwin was astonished after spotting a mass of more than 100,000 sharks swimming just 100 yards off Florida's sandy beaches.

The long-time fisherman and marine technology expert was cruising 300ft above the clear waters in his helicopter on Sunday when he came across the astonishing scene.

The 50-year-old - who shares his name with the late Australian 'Crocodile Hunter' - whipped out his smartphone to capture the masses of deadly predators, which spanned a 20-mile stretch of water.

The sharks - believed to be Spinners, between 3ft and 7ft long - were heading north and swimming parallel to the east coast's idyllic white beaches between Fort Lauderdale and exclusive Jupiter Island.

Small groups of strays were even spotted milling around swimmers who appeared to be blissfully unaware of the danger, although no injuries were reported.

Experts say this is the time of year when sharks migrate and head for warmer waters, typically swimming close to the shore while chasing after bait-fish.

But Mr Irwin, who runs Island Marine Services in Fort Pierce, was baffled as to the staggering number of sharks gathered in the shallow waters.

'It was an truly amazing sight,' he said.

'I've been a fisherman for 20 years and I also kayak out there and it's common to see them twist and turn and shoot through the air.

'They're prevalent at this time of year but what amazed me was the sheer numbers of them.

'There were tens of thousands of them - I'd say maybe 100,000.

'I kept on flying for about 20 miles and they just kept on coming.

'It's common to see large predatory sharks come in and feed on schools of bait-fish - the odd thing was I didn't see any bait-fish at all!'

Video

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That's some video. That makes Jaws seem like a guppy.

HOLY ****!

Crazy stuff. Pilot's name is Steve Irwin, so he should be glad those weren't sting rays (sorry if that's in poor taste)

There's a reason I'm not big on swimming by the beach. Especially down here in Florida.

I, for one, welcome our new shark overlords.

Crazy stuff. Pilot's name is Steve Irwin, so he should be glad those weren't sting rays (sorry if that's in poor taste)

Maybe the sharks are going to the chesapeke bay, since they killed off all the hammerheads the sting ray population is completely out of hand.

---------- Post added February-2nd-2011 at 04:20 PM ----------

I, for one, welcome our new shark overlords.

This is always funny.

There's a reason I'm not big on swimming by the beach. Especially down here in Florida.

They're more scared of you than you are of them. :pfft:

This is always funny.

Maybe the greatest single line The Simpsons ever had.

They're more scared of you than you are of them. :pfft:

You're right.

I would just need to remind myself of that while standing in the middle of 100,000 them. Shouldn't be a problem.

Do they have laser beams?

Maybe the greatest single line The Simpsons ever had.

You're right.

I would just need to remind myself of that while standing in the middle of 100,000 them. Shouldn't be a problem.

And single funniest thing on the simpsons is a major statement.

And they say sharks are just like dogs and I wouldn't be scared of me if I was a 7 foot long dog, with a ****load more teeth and hanging in a pack of 100k of my buddies.

Just highlights how unlikely you are to be bitin by a shark.

Just highlights how unlikely you are to be bitin by a shark.

Exactly.

Five seconds after taking that picture from his helicopter, Mr. Irwin made a tragic mistake....

There's a reason I'm not big on swimming by the beach. Especially down here in Florida.

You **** with our water, we are going to **** with your beaches!

That guy should use this opportunity to market himself to advertise the phone he used. I'm sure they would love the publicity that their phone captured that video.

You're right.

I would just need to remind myself of that while standing in the middle of 100,000 them. Shouldn't be a problem.

Question is, what why would you put yourself in that position, in the first place ?

How can you tell those are sharks in the video?

There's a reason I'm not big on swimming by the beach. Especially down here in Florida.

Are you really that concerned? I just moved to Florida and live within an hours drive of several beaches.

The guys that surf in California, South Africa and Australia have some balls. They KNOW great whites (not exactly a Spinner shark) are around them and they still go out there...

Wow a group of sharks swimming together in the ocean. Stop the presses. This is about as newsworthy as reporting thousands of people walking around New York city at midday.

Wow a group of sharks swimming together in the ocean. Stop the presses. This is about as newsworthy as reporting thousands of people walking around New York city at midday.

So you see 20 mile long groups of 100,000 sharks on a regular basis? Odd, because other people don't.

So you see 20 mile long groups of 100,000 sharks on a regular basis? Odd, because other people don't.

Not to mention just 100 yards off the coast. That's rather close for that many sharks to be swimming.

Are you really that concerned? I just moved to Florida and live within an hours drive of several beaches.

The guys that surf in California, South Africa and Australia have some balls. They KNOW great whites (not exactly a Spinner shark) are around them and they still go out there...

There have been 2,251 confirmed shark attacks world wide since 1580. 623 have been in Florida.

There have been 2,251 confirmed shark attacks world wide since 1580. 623 have been in Florida.

Yeah, but I assume that includes all attacks, many of which are just little chomps by a sand shark. Plus, you have to assume that millions of people go in the water in Florida every single year. That's what Florida is all about. So your odds are pretty damn good.

In Northern California, people go to the beach but hardly anyone swims because the water is too cold. Even in SoCal its kind of chilly. Seals and Sea lions like it, but people don't. Mostly surfers and divers go out there - and when they do, they run the risk of encountering the biggest Great White sharks in the world - the ones that are right offshore, waiting to eat all those seals and sea lions.

Put it this way - Florida has had only 11 fatalities in its 623 shark attacks in its history. California has 10 fatalities out of only 100 shark attacks (and I suspect with much less than 1/10 as many humans going into the water each year).

Yeah, but I assume that includes all attacks, many of which are just little chomps by a sand shark. Plus, you have to assume that millions of people go in the water in Florida every single year. That's what Florida is all about. So your odds are pretty damn good.

In Northern California, people go to the beach but hardly anyone swims because the water is too cold. Even in SoCal its kind of chilly. Seals and Sea lions like it, but people don't. Mostly surfers and divers go out there - and when they do, they run the risk of encountering the biggest Great White sharks in the world - the ones that are right offshore, waiting to eat all those seals and sea lions.

Put it this way - Florida has had only 11 fatalities in its 623 shark attacks in its history. California has 10 fatalities out of only 100 shark attacks (and I suspect with much less than 1/10 as many humans going into the water each year).

Shark attacks are so rare that, there is probably no statistical difference for the swimmers.