NEW ORLEANS — A video circulating on social media showing a 13-foot Hammerhead shark swimming near the shore at Navarre Beach in Florida has worried some New Orleanians heading to the beach for the Fourth of July.
However, experts say larges sharks barely ever end up in shallow waters near the beach.
According to National Geographic, Hammerheads don't seek out human prey, but can become aggressive when provoked.
"It's more common for smaller sharks to be near the shore. It's very rare for large sharks to come near the shore because there's not a lot of room for them between the water and the beach," said James Arnold, a marine biologist at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.
Arnold said for the most part, sharks tend to stay away from people.
"They're actively moving through these areas that we're swim in. When we're there, they usually don't come around because we make a lot of noise and we present something that's threatening to them so, they move on. They have a lot more to fear from us than we do from them."
If you do end up in a shark's path, your best bet is get out of the water, of course.
"The best thing to do is you're close to a shark, no matter where you are, is swim for the shore. Get out of the water as fast as you can and yell for help," Arnold said.
Arnold said to be mindful but not stressed. He reminded that the ocean is home to the sharks, not humans.