COCOA BEACH, Fla. — While shark sightings along the Florida coast are common during the summer, not many can say they've seen a herd of them.
Garrett Zendek woke up early Sunday, Aug. 14, to capture the sunrise on his drone. He said he saw one shark, then two...followed them along the water and came up on a herd of sharks swimming along Cocoa Beach. The sharks weren't more than 1,000 feet from the shoreline.
"I couldn't believe my eyes," Zendek said. "I was genuinely shocked."
So shocked that he had to run up to the nearest strangers near him and show them what he was capturing on his drone. He said he couldn't believe his eyes. The water was really clear that day, Zendek said, perfect for the view he caught.
The drone photographer is from northern Virginia and was visiting with friends who had a place near Cocoa Beach. Zendek said he'd never seen anything like that. In addition to capturing the sharks on camera, he also came across a manta ray, sea turtles and an 8-to10-foot hammerhead shark.
For taking his drone out on the beach for the first time, one could call this beginner's luck. Zendek said in the future, he'd love to shoot more video at another tropical destination like the Bahamas.
The NOAA says Atlantic sharks spend a good part of their lives in coastal waters. However, it's "extremely unlikely" for Atlantic swimmers and surfers to be bitten by one or even have a shark encounter.
"Species like Atlantic blacktip, spinner, Atlantic sharpnose, and lemon sharks can be abundant in the Southeast’s nearshore waters," the agency reports.