BOOTHVILLE-VENICE, La. — It's a story getting national attention in Louisiana's most southern town, Venice.
That's after remarkable video of a shark feeding frenzy was recorded surrounding a charter fishing boat.
So, why are fisherman are seeing this more and more.
Sharks play a vital role in the health of our waters. They keep populations in check, and clean up the dead fish. But now extraordinary viral video of a feeding frenzy has people asking what's going on.
Video of a shark feeding frenzy in the Gulf of Mexico from a charter fishing boat out of Venice, Louisiana, is going viral.
Another charter boat captain says it's all too familiar to him.
“That's something we've seen several times over the years,” said Captain Josh Bodenheimer, owner of Intensity Offshore Outfitters, in Venice.
He says it's causing problems, and has the pictures to prove that sharks steal his catch as it's being reeled in.
“Often times that reduces the number of fish landed fleetwide for all the charter boats in our area. We've watched the shark population grow out of control in recent years. There needs to be a dramatic reduction in the number of sharks in federal waters. Some of these species of sharks are federally protected in these federal waters,” said Bodenheimer.
“I watched it several times. It's just really unique to see the shark group be that large and that active all at the same time,” said Dr. Jill Hendon, Director of the Center for Fisheries Research and Development at The University of Southern Mississippi.
Dr. Hendon’s scientific team monitors populations, natural trends, especially looking for abnormal changes.
“We are definitely seeing a lot more depredation events on fishing lines as well as these large aggregations. At this time, however, it is very difficult to say whether these are the result of population increases, or if they are just the result of these sharks being very knowledgeable and figuring out where to go to get a quick meal,” said Dr. Hendon.
“I think these populations go where the food is,” said Dr. Moby Solangi, President and Executive Director of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport.
He says, in general, the ecosystem is changing.
“The habitat, for example in the Gulf, is significantly being impacted through the Mississippi River discharges, the diversions from all sorts of places, you're also seeing a lot of pollution, and so the prey species are moving and the food species are also moving,” said Dr. Solangi.
Dr. Hendon says sharks are looking for a meal, not an interaction with people, but for safety, she says don't swim where people are fishing, or in mouths of bays where there is fishing debris or carcasses.
When wade fishing, don't keep bait in your pocket.