Researchers from Florida Atlantic University had an amazing view as they flew along the Florida coast, spotting thousands of blacktip sharks near Palm Beach and Jupiter as they migrate for the winter.
The blacktips have congregeated just a few hundred feet from shore, but that hasn’t scared people from getting out on the beach, according to Stephen Kajiura, an associate professor at FAU.
“For the most part, if you look historically, we have relatively few bites on people by blacktips in this area,” he said. “Most of the bites have been further north in Daytona.”
Though blacktip sharks account for the greatest number of bites in Florida, none have been fatal. Kajiura noted how the water in Palm Beach is fairly clear, which may allow the sharks to better distinguish differences between humans and fish. “These sharks are pretty skittish,” he said. “So when they see a human, they swim away.”
The sharks typically stay around the area from January to March, according to Kajiura.
