Tens of Thousands of Sharks Invade Palm Beach

A hauntingly beautiful sight can be viewed in Florida, as tens of thousands of sharks invade Palm Beach during migrating season in search for warmer waters.

• Dr. Kajiura has been tracking the blacktip sharks since January 15th, but posted the video on February 12th
• The footage was captured from 5,000 feet above the waters off of Palm Beach
• There are tens of thousands of sharks, with just one frame capturing around 170 of the marine animals
• Blacktip sharks are commonly involved in attacks, but are not lethal

Dr. Stephen Kajiura, a professor of biological sciences from Florida Atlantic University, has been tracking the blacktip sharks since January 15^th, but only now captured them in such a sheer mass. The video posted online showed footage from 5,000 feet above the marine animals, watching them swim through the crystal clear waters of Florida’s coast. And they are certainly in huge numbers.

The blacktip sharks, named for their trademark black markings on their fins, are more often found within the waters from South Carolina to Texas. However, they are also known to migrate to warmer settings during the colder season. The event commonly occurs during mating season every year, but Dr. Kajiura says it’s still amazing to see them in such incredible numbers.

According to the professor, there are literally tens of thousands of sharks swimming in the waters from Palm Beach to Singer Island. It’s “interesting” because there are hardly any sharks from Miami Beach to Boynton Beach, and yet off coast of Palm Beach, it’s the exact opposite. All the way to Jupiter Inlet, the perfectly clear and warm waters are loaded with swarms of blacktip sharks.

As stated by Dr. Kajiura, “you could throw a pebble and literally strike a shark”. And it appears to be true. The mass of blacktip sharks swim barely a stone throw away from the beach. That means that beachgoers and surfers should definitely stay clear until the migrating event is over. While sharks are not the cruel animals that movies make them out to be, they’re still dangerous when provoked. With such an incredible number of them, one could imagine the effect of blood dripping into the waters.

Curios locals have taken to boats and paddleboards to made their way in to watch the spectacular event from above. It’s incredibly difficult to make an exact count, but Dr. Kajiura stated that he captured over 170 sharks in just one frame of the video. He has been studying the event for years, but he’s still amazed. According to the professor, he also hopes that this will prove to the public that “sharks are not out to get you”.

So far, there have been no incidences in spite of the incredible number of sharks through the waters. However, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), blacktip sharks are responsible for most of Florida’s shark attacks. And around 51% of all such encounters in the United States happen in the Sunshine State.

However, none of them have been fatal due to their very small teeth. Furthermore, Dr. Kajiura claimed that when we compare the number of attacks with the number of sharks in Florida’s waters, it’s a truly low rate. Still, one shouldn’t take that chance by venturing into the waters off Palm Beach. At least for a little while.

Image source: upi.com