A rare sight off the coast of Florida surprised dolphin cruisers near Honeymoon Island.
After a pod of dolphins was acting strangely, charter captain Jordan Sandlin spotted “commotion in the water” before the pod moved away, and a juvenile great white shark’s dorsal fin appeared, according to Tampa Bay 28.
“We pulled right up on it, and it was every bit of at least 9-10 feet,” Sandlin told the publication.
Other charter boats in the area also spotted the shark, with both captains convinced it was a great white.
“I’ll have something to tell my grandkids and everybody about it,” said Nick Spiridis, another captain who saw the shark get within inches of his boat.
Local experts noted that juvenile great whites rarely venture near Florida’s coast, while larger great whites prefer deeper waters for bigger prey.
Over December, six tagged great white sharks have been recorded in deep waters off Florida, according to OCEARCH, a non-profit that tracks sharks globally.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature listed great white sharks as vulnerable and many shark species as threatened, endangered, or extinct.
Great white sharks play a key role in their ecosystems by regulating prey populations, preventing overgrazing of kelp and seagrass, protecting and enhancing blue carbon, and maintaining a food web that supports biodiversity and nutrient cycling. Without them, prey populations can overpopulate, threatening aquatic plant life.
A sighting like this, with video evidence, is crucial for tracking local shark populations and assessing rehabilitation efforts.
Sharks have existed for over 400 million years, and more than 530 species help protect the balance of ecosystems threatened by rising global temperatures, human activity, and pollution.
Smart management and tracking of important players in our environment is crucial to ensuring sustained biodiversity and keeping ecosystems in balance that, in turn, support global food supplies and clean air, soil, and water.
Elsewhere, lemon sharks have helped control invasive fish species in Brazil, and shark populations have rebounded in well-protected areas of the Pacific. However, research on disrupted migration patterns from rising temperatures and increased human-shark interactions indicates a concerning trend.
As Tampa Bay 28 shared, local shark expert Eric Hovland advised dolphin-watchers and beachgoers to always swim near others, avoid swimming in the dark, and not venture too far from shore.
“I’m a Shark Week fanatic, so it was an experience I will never forget,” Sandlin added.
Get TCD’s free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD’s exclusive Rewards Club.