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Alabama boaters startled by hammerhead sharks
A group of hammerhead sharks surprised several boaters near Alabama's Orange Beach. Several people who were wading in the water jumped back onto their boats to safety as about six sharks swam around the bay. (Credit: Meredith Perry)
Some unsuspecting boaters soaking up sun rays at Alabama’s Orange Beach were suddenly visited by a group of hammerhead sharks over the weekend.
A video recorded by Meredith Perry on June 10, showed about five hammerhead sharks swimming uncomfortably close to boaters, even prompting a few people who were wading in the shallow waters to jump back onto their boats.
Perry also managed to get a photo of her fiance, Paul Hubble, standing in the water, attempting to get a closer look at the sharks.
"At first it was a ‘hurry and get kids safe, etc.,’ but then I realized they were hammerheads and thought it would be cool to see how close I could get," Hubble told FOX TV Stations.
Hubble estimated there were about six total swimming around the boats that day and the sharks averaged about 6 to 8 feet long.
Paul Hubble wading in the water as hammerhead sharks swim nearby. (Meredith Perry)
"It probably wasn’t the smartest but hammerheads are less aggressive towards humans than others," Hubble claimed, "and I thought it would be a once in a lifetime chance to be close."
Sharks typically stay away from this busy area, according to Hubble. It’s rare to see sharks swim past the Perdido Pass, which is the water passage that connects the Gulf to the Perdido Bay.
"We rarely see them inside the pass, but they are often spotted by the beach along the Gulf but rarely are they seen inside," he said.
Hubble’s fiance shared the video and photo of the sharks on her Facebook account and the video has amassed more than 2 million views and over 15,000 shares as of this report.
"I never thought it would get this much attention. It was fun and definitely an adrenaline boost," Hubble said.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.