A video of a shark swimming a little too close to the shore for comfort at a beach in Hawaii has been making waves on TikTok.
The clip, shared by @inafuernschuss, has garnered over 449,000 views since it was posted.
A note overlaid on the video, filmed from the edge of the water, reads: "POV [point of view]: You spot a shark while swimming in Hawaii."
The video shows waves crashing on to a sandy beach, with the shark seen just below the surface of the water just a few feet out from the shoreline. It was spotted on Black Rock Beach on the Hawaiian island of Maui, according to the post's caption.
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.
Yannis Papastamatiou—a shark expert and marine biologist from Florida International University who has conducted research in Hawaii for several years—told Newsweek that while the fish in the clip is "definitely a shark," you "can't necessarily tell the species."
He added: "This is not uncommon as there are plenty of sharks in Hawaii waters and they will, at times, forage close to shore. No need to panic though, as these are not hunting mammals."
There have been 195 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks reported in Hawaii from 1837 to the present, according to the Florida Musuem's International Shark Attack File.
The museum noted that "Actual numbers of shark attacks certainly are going up each decade because of increasing numbers of bathers in the water, but there is no indication that there is any change in the per capita rate of attack."
Most attacks occur in "nearshore waters, typically inshore of a sandbar or between sandbars where sharks feed and can become trapped at low tide," the museum said.
Places with steep drop-offs are also likely spots for shark attacks, with the fish congregating there "because their natural food items also congregate in these areas," according to the museum.
'Terrifying'
Some TikTok users were alarmed by the shark sighting in the viral clip, which was posted on June 28.
AmberJessica said: "That's terrifying. So glad all I encountered today were two adorable sea turtles!
C_JR said: "This my biggest fear when I'm out here snorkeling."
Rachel Rich wrote: "It's SO close to the shore."
"Omg we just checked in the Sheraton right now by the black rock now I'm afraid to go in the water," another user said.
Other TikTokers were less concerned, such as one who said, "Normal thing in Hawaii," and another who wrote, "Happens all the time."
A third said, "Guess what sharks live in the ocean."
Another user wrote, "They don't really bother you."
A stock image of a shark underwater in Maui, Hawaii. A video of a beachgoer's encounter with a shark near the shores of Black Rock Beach in Maui has gone viral on TikTok.A stock image of a shark underwater in Maui, Hawaii. A video of a beachgoer's encounter with a shark near the shores of Black Rock Beach in Maui has gone viral on TikTok.iStock / Getty Images PlusDo you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
