13-Foot-Long Hammerhead Shark Spotted Off Florida Beach

A mural of a hammerhead shark (NTDTV)

A huge hammerhead shark was spotted near where “Jaws II” was filmed off the Florida coast.

The Navarre Beach Fire Rescue posted a photo on Facebook, saying, “Approximate 13 foot Hammerhead shark swimming just off our beach today!”

The photo showed the shark swimming only about 20 feet away from the beach as a woman looks on.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, beachgoers were told to leave the water as the shark approached.

Navarre Beach is located some 40 miles east of Pensacola.

A beachgoer recorded a video of the shark.

“I am so glad we didn’t go to the beach. If not, my daughter would have NEVER GONE to a beach in her life before. JAWS was filmed years ago in this area, really,” one local woman wrote on the fire department’s Facebook page.

“It looks little to close to shore for me,” said another.

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Said another person, “I posted a vid I took of it, he was on the hunt for some type of big fish, he killed and ate it right there.”

Added another: “That’s a little to close for comfort. The water is crazy right now. Everything west of us is closed due to algae. Can’t even swim or eat the seafood. All of the oysters and shrimp are dead.”

Fisherman Reel in Hammerhead, Release It

Fishermen in Avon, North Carolina, reeled in a hammerhead shark last August, before they threw it back into the water.

The shark can be seen being pulled onto the beach as a crowd of people look on.

WAVY.com reported that the shark was captured by Bryan Lester, of Frisco, and his son, River. The shark was about 11 feet in length.

Lester apparently hauled in a hammerhead shark one day prior to that in Avon, reported ABC11. That shark was also released back into the water.

Hammerhead sharks can get quite large, growing up to 20 feet in length and weighing up to 1,000 pounds, according to National Geographic.

“Found in temperate and tropical waters worldwide, far offshore and near shorelines, hammerheads are often seen in mass summer migrations seeking cooler water. They are gray-brown to olive-green on top with off-white undersides, and they have heavily serrated, triangular teeth. Their extra-tall, pointed dorsal fins are easily identifiable,” National Geographic says.

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It adds: “Most hammerhead species are fairly small and are considered harmless to humans. However, the great hammerhead’s enormous size and fierceness make it potentially dangerous, though few attacks have been recorded.”

In June of last year, a fisherman reeled in a 14-foot-long hammerhead shark, calling it the “catch of multiple lifetimes.”

“Our main focus was to get her released quickly,” he said, Fox News reported. “Well after 30-40 min of us holding her up into the current in 3-4 [feet] of water we were faced with accepting the fact that she was done.”