ST. PETERSBURG, Florida. (WFLA) — A hammerhead shark was caught hunting tarpon very close to St. Petersburg beachgoers Thursday, just a day before three people were injured in two separate shark attacks on Florida’s Gulf Coast .
Drone video, captured by kayak company See Through Canoe on June 6, shows the hammerhead shark chasing tarpon beneath paddleboarders and near swimmers in the water as the fish swam close to shore.
“A hammerhead shark chasing a tarpon by people on the beach in St. Petersburg,” the company wrote on Facebook. “The shark passed under a few paddleboarders and some tarpon were swimming very close to shore and through people in an attempt to avoid the shark. Eventually the shark managed to catch a good sized tarpon.
The hammerhead shark video in St. Pete comes a day before a 45-year-old woman lost part of her arm, and two teenagers were injured Friday in two shark attacks about four miles apart. ‘other in Walton County.
According to the Walton County Fire Department, the woman required an amputation of her lower left arm and suffered “significant” trauma to her midsection and pelvic area.
Shortly afterwards, two girls aged between 15 and 17 were also injured in an attack, one of them suffering trauma to an upper and lower limb. She is said to be in critical condition. The second teenager had bodily injuries to his foot.
“For two of these incidents to occur on the same day is highly unusual,” officials said.
At this point it is clear whether the woman and girls were attacked by the same shark. It is also unclear what type of shark they were attacked by.
Although no shark attacks have been reported in the Tampa Bay area so far this year, officials are reminding beachgoers to remain vigilant while in the water as shark attacks this week The latter could be attributed to small fish traveling close to the shore.
“Please swim safely today, respect the Gulf, stay hydrated and look out for your loved ones,” the South Walton Fire District posted on social media following the attacks.
See Through Canoe specializes in manufacturing transparent kayaks and has done so since 2007. The company has also captured stunning videos and photos of marine wildlife seen from transparent kayaks.
Visit the See Through Canoe Instagram and Facebook page to see more wildlife videos and learn more about the business.