ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — It was kind of a wild weekend at the beach, proving once again, you never know what you’re going to see when you hit the Gulf Coast.
Cellphone video showed a group of large hammerhead sharks close to recreational boaters and people still in the water near Robinson Island in Orange Beach, Alabama, Saturday afternoon.
Paul Hubble is one of the swimmers who had a close encounter with the 6-8 foot long apex predators.
“We were in the water on the north side of the boat and all of a sudden, we heard people screaming 'shark' and see people scrambling to get on their boats,” Hubble said. “There was 4 to 6 of them and they’re just kind of thrashing around in the water, chasing bait fish.”
University of New Orleans marine biologist Dr. Kelly Boyle says hammerheads are a common species in the Gulf of Mexico.
“They’re not interested in humans really,” Boyle said. “They’re interested in smaller fishes. So, it’s good to see them and give them their respect.”
Sunday, about two hours east of Orange Beach in Destin, Florida, swimmers spotted a young black bear in the water.
The animal swam ashore, ran past sunbathers on the beach and crossed over the dunes.
According to a spokeswoman for the Okaloosa County Sheriff, the bear took off and hasn’t been seen since.
“I’ve been to the beach a lot,” Boyle said. “I’ve never seen a bear at the beach. But nearby there are areas where black bears are commonly sighted. So, it kind of makes sense that kind of thing could happen.”
“We are in their habitat,” Hubble said. “That’s where they live.”
“I don’t think it’s animal Armageddon, I think it’s just animals doing their thing,” Boyle said.
A couple of weeks ago, we showed you a large alligator sunning on the beach in Waveland, Mississippi.
The animal encounters just go to show you, we aren’t the only ones that enjoy a day at the beach.
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