Mom Captures Footage of Shark Swimming Right Near Tourists on Waikiki Beach

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One of the most enduring images from the classic film Jaws is the ominous shot of the shark's fin barely poking above the water. To this day, the sight of a fin poking out of the waves invokes one reaction from anyone who sees it: "Get the heck out of the water!" 

While on vacation with her family in Waikiki Beach, TikTok user @vicamik captured a scene eerily similar to Jaws. Suffice to say, they weren't alone in the water...

Click here to watch the video.

Welp, that beach day's over. Now of course, as dramatic as this shot looked, most sharks aren't anywhere near as vicious as the creature from Jaws, especially not sharks of this size. However, that doesn't mean you should take chances by swimming right next to them- they're still wild animals! That shark and the swimming tourists were uncomfortably close to each other. Thank goodness everyone spread the warning as quickly as possible so all the swimmers could evacuate!

Judging by the estimated size of the shark and the look of its fins, many commenters surmised that this was a reef shark. Reef sharks are quite common throughout this part of Hawai'i, and they're generally pretty non-aggressive towards humans, preferring to pursue much smaller prey like fishes, crabs, and octopi. However... 

"...Sharks aren't usually near the shallow end," remarked @sandracaz831. Another user @christir78, also remarked upon the shark's unusual swimming habits: "Based on the fin and tail, looks like a reef shark. They’re very chill sharks! Never encountered one on the beach though, only while diving." 

We wonder what could have drawn this shark this close to the beach, considering that they evidently tend to swim further out. Perhaps there was a school of yummy fish swimming near the rock wall? 

While this scene may have looked disconcertingly similar to Jaws, little reef sharks like this one likely had no interest in the tourists sharing the water with them. Still, the extra human activity could have potentially agitated it, so it was wise for the swimmers to get out of the water and give the shark its space. After all, before all else, the ocean is the shark's home first! 

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