Current:Home > FinanceA viral video of a swarm of sharks in the Gulf of Mexico prompts question: Is this normal? Here's what an expert says. -FundGuru
A viral video of a swarm of sharks in the Gulf of Mexico prompts question: Is this normal? Here's what an expert says.
Charles H. Sloan View
Date:2025-04-11 00:42:59
A video showing a large swarm of sharks swimming off the coast of Galveston, Texas, has gone viral this month – because the sheer size of the group is astounding. The video of the sharks received millions of views on TikTok, raising questions about this behavior and how common it is.
David Wells, a professor of marine biology at Texas A&M in Galveston, told CBS News this type of swarming behavior is common for some species of sharks.
"This group of sharks is most likely blacktips and spinners — it's difficult to identify for sure," he said. "And yes, for those species, it is common that you find them in large groups."
"Sometimes you'll see them in large groups behind shrimp trawlers pulling their nets because there's such a large good source there with all the fish getting disturbed and coming out of the nets from the trawlers," he said, adding that this group was likely feeding on a bunch of fish when the video was taken.
"[This type of shark] is usually sub-surface, so the fact they were up on the surface in this video was a little bit interesting, but certainly not anything rare or unique," Wells said. "You see these aggregations throughout the world. There are big aggregations commonly seen off of Florida in the wintertime."
Wells also said because the Gulf of Mexico is probably warm right now, the sharks are likely staying put in one area. But once temperatures drop in the fall and winter, they'll probably disperse a bit more as the go on the hunt for prey.
Waters off the coast of Florida hit record-high temperatures earlier this summer, and were as much as 5 degrees above normal for the time of year.
Wells said swimmers and boaters shouldn't be alarmed by this video, since there haven't been any recent incidents of shark attacks off the coast of Texas. But there are many are sharks in the Gulf – hammerhead sharks, mako sharks, tiger sharks and whale sharks are most commonly spotted off the coast, Wells said.
- In:
- Sharks
- TikTok
Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.
veryGood! (3)
Related
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- Republicans easily keep legislative supermajorities in Kentucky
- AP Race Call: Nevada voters approve constitutional amendment enshrining abortion rights
- North Carolina’s next governor could have a more potent veto with even a small Democratic gain
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- Democrats hoped Harris would rescue them. On Wednesday, she will reckon with her loss
- Prince William Shares Insight Into Kate Middleton’s Health After Completing Chemotherapy Treatment
- Prince William Shows Off Sweet Friendship Bracelet Princess Charlotte Made for Taylor Swift Concert
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Sebastian Stan Reveals Why He Wanted to Play Donald Trump in The Apprentice
Ranking
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Tito Jackson buried at the same cemetery as brother and Jackson 5 bandmate Michael
- Retrial of military contractor accused of complicity at Abu Ghraib soon to reach jury
- Bubba Wallace, Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain penalized after Martinsville race
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Donald Trump, Megyn Kelly, that headline-making speech and why it matters
- CAUCOIN Trading Center: Bitcoin’s Time Tunnel
- Big Ten, Boise State, Clemson headline College Football Playoff ranking winners and losers
Recommendation
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
AP Race Call: Maryland voters approve constitutional amendment enshrining abortion
AP Race Call: Democrat Shomari Figures elected to US House in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District
ROYCOIN Trading Center: Paving the Way for the Future of Cryptocurrency with Cutting-Edge Technology
New data highlights 'achievement gap' for students in the US
Why AP called the Ohio Senate race for Bernie Moreno
Russian court orders Google to pay $20 decillion for blocking media on YouTube: Reports
AP VoteCast: Economy ranked as a top issue, but concerns over democracy drove many voters to polls