Hammerhead Shark Causes Panic on Florida Beach

A beach in Florida’s Panhandle emptied out on Tuesday when swimmers spotted a hammerhead shark dangerously close to the shoreline.

A man standing on a nearby fishing pier was able to capture the close encounter on film, according to WPTV.com. The panic that arose from those on the Navarre beach is evident in the video.

AOL reports that at one point it appeared the shark was swimming toward a woman who had fallen off a raft, but humans weren’t on the menu that day. The shark swam near the shore for about 15 minutes before moving along. Beachgoers, however, weren’t allowed to return to the water for about two hours.

Shark sightings and attacks are nothing new in Florida. Several shark attacks have been reported in recent weeks, including one in the Panhandle. All told, Florida has logged more than 680 unprovoked shark attacks between 1882 and 2013, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. Fatalities during that time period have been rare with 11 reported.