OKALOOSA COUNTY, FL (RNN) - A tourist caught on video at least three sharks mucking about in the shallow water off Okaloosa Island on Monday while some beachgoers waded in to get a closer look.
Stephanie Stevens Adcock, a tourist from Arkansas, posted video of the shark encounter on Facebook. As of Tuesday morning, it had 2.2 million views.
Adcock told the Northwest Florida Daily News she saw seven sharks approach shore, two of which started fighting in the surf.
While she and her husband made her friend's son come in from snorkeling, some in the video were seen being less than cautious, getting as close as possible to the sharks, which possibly were reef or bull sharks.
No one was injured in the fracas.
Among the tips that swimmers should heed to avoid shark attacks, it should go without saying: Leave the water if a shark is sighted.
Other tips from the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida include the following:
- Avoid swimming alone or too far from shore.
- Avoid swimming during twilight or darkness when sharks are more active.
- Do not enter the water if bleeding from an open wound, and proceed with caution if menstruating.
- Leave your shiny jewelry behind.
- Avoid waters with signs of feeding activity or where fishermen are active.
- Be careful between sandbars or near steep dropoffs
There were 81 unprovoked shark attacks on humans worldwide last year, 32 of which were in Florida, the International Shark Attack File said.
Since 1889, there have been only three confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in Okaloosa County.
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