Spring Break 2013: Thousands of Sharks Force Popular Tourist Beaches in Florida to Close [VIDEO]

Thousands of blacktip sharks have forced Florida beaches to close.(Photo : Wikimedia)

Spring Break 2013 is becoming more exciting than some expected as popular tourist beaches in Florida have been shut down due to a huge swarm of sharks.

Tens of thousands of sharks are coming too close for comfort in the waters off of Florida. As blacktip and spinner sharks migrate north, they're approaching the shores and getting very close to swimmers.

"We saw something moving in the water and everybody was saying, 'ahh! sharks!,'" one witness in Palm Beach, Fla. told ABC News.

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Craig Pollock, a Palm Beach lifeguard said it isn't rare for sharks to pass by every year as they migrate.

"Every year we expect annual shark migration to come through this area," Pollock told ABC. However he said that the sharks usually don't disturb the beaches and their migration from Florida to North Carolina usually starts and ends sooner than this, meaning they tend to avoid the prime beach season, but their schedule has changed this year.

According to a study by researchers at Florida Atlantic University, more than 15,000 sharks have passed by the area and many of them were less than 200 yards from shore.

The beaches have been closed and double red flags have been posted to warn visitors not to go in the water. This is being done as a precaution and is only temporary.

"People really need to heed these warnings because thank god it's a public beach, and they have lifeguards and they have these warnings," beachgoer Elizabeth Horowitz told ABC. "Sharks are not to be reckoned with."

Blacktip sharks, which are currently swimming around the area, have been responsible for 20 percent of shark attacks in the state. While that number may be low, people don't want to take the chance of becoming one of those statistics. They'd rather stick to the sand.

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Source: http://www.travelerstoday.com/articles/5204/20130307/spring-break-2013-thousands-sharks-force-popular-tourist-beaches-florida-to-close-video.htm

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