100,000 sharks swim 100 yards off Florida beaches...

Some fins up! 100,000 sharks mass off Florida's beaches

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 12:00 PM on 2nd February 2011

This is quite a shark tale.

Pilot Steve Irwin was astonished after spotting a mass of more than 100,000 sharks swimming just 100 yards off Florida's sandy beaches.

The long-time fisherman and marine technology expert was cruising 300ft above the clear waters in his helicopter on Sunday when he came across the astonishing scene.

The 50-year-old - who shares his name with the late Australian 'Crocodile Hunter' - whipped out his smartphone to capture the masses of deadly predators, which spanned a 20-mile stretch of water.

The sharks - believed to be Spinners, between 3ft and 7ft long - were heading north and swimming parallel to the east coast's idyllic white beaches between Fort Lauderdale and exclusive Jupiter Island.

Pack of predators: Camera phone pictures reveal the sharp-toothed mass congregating near the Sunshine State

Spinner sharks: The hunters are so named for the rotating leaps they make while on the trail of prey

Small groups of strays were even spotted milling around swimmers who appeared to be blissfully unaware of the danger, although no injuries were reported.

Stunned: Helicopter pilot Steve Irwin told of his amazement after spotting a mass of 100,000-plus sharks swimming off Florida's east coast

Experts say this is the time of year when sharks migrate and head for warmer waters, typically swimming close to the shore while chasing after bait-fish.

But Mr Irwin, who runs Island Marine Services in Fort Pierce, was baffled as to the staggering number of sharks gathered in the shallow waters.

'It was an truly amazing sight,' he said.

'I've been a fisherman for 20 years and I also kayak out there and it's common to see them twist and turn and shoot through the air.

'They're prevalent at this time of year but what amazed me was the sheer numbers of them.

'There were tens of thousands of them - I'd say maybe 100,000.

'I kept on flying for about 20 miles and they just kept on coming.

'It's common to see large predatory sharks come in and feed on schools of bait-fish - the odd thing was I didn't see any bait-fish at all!'

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