Kit Roberts
Most of the time when there's a shark near to you in the ocean, you probably won't even notice it.
Despite their fearsome reputation, sharks largely keep themselves to themselves. Of the hundreds of species, there are relatively few which are a danger to humans.
However, I am writing these words with my feet safely on dry land, where logic and reason abound and the threat of sharks is at most negligible, notwithstanding some Sharknado-style phenomenon. It's quite another thing when those ominous fins glide past you while you're out having a dip.
But this is exactly what's happened in a hair-raising video which shows beachgoers out and about enjoying a swim in the picturesque ocean of Navarre Beach, Florida.
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In the video, which was shared on Facebook, a rather large shark can be seen wending its way along in the surf - really not that far from the beach.
It's not clear exactly what species the shark is, but Florida is home to several types, including tiger sharks and bull sharks - both of which have had fatal documented attacks.
This individual had a big gap between the dorsal fin and the tail fin, both of which protruded from the water.
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After years of watching the panicked scenes in movies featuring sharks, you would think that people would be quick to stampede out of the water as quickly as possible.
However, instead while swimmers weren't exactly sticking around with the shark there, they exited the water calmly and slowly. Some even stayed paddling to watch the shark as it swam away.
Given that sharks associate splashing with distressed animals, and therefore prey, leaving the water calmly and not rushing is definitely a good idea. It would also help to prevent the shark getting excited or afraid, which could make it more likely to behave unpredictably.
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People took to the comments of the video the to share their thoughts on the bizarre incident.
One person said: "Well you got ppl fishing off the bridge so lots of bait fish."
Another was worried about the protocol on the beach, saying: "What happened to the advance warning from the lifeguards? Lifeguards whistling? That's a huge shark. It makes you wanna just stay in a pool."
Beach Safety Director Austin Turnbull confirmed that a shark had been seen at Navarre Beach but said there’s usually no reason for panic when they’re spotted.
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“There’s sharks in the Gulf, everywhere. We see sharks almost every day and there’s nothing to be alarmed of for 99.9% of the time,” Turnbull said.