Shark sightings in Texas are becoming more and more common, but what I’m about to show you is definitely out of the ordinary. In late July, an oil rig worker captured something even more horrifying than a scene from Jaws: hundreds of sharks swimming in a pack in the Gulf of Mexico. You may want to keep scrolling with one eye open…

Many people (myself included), automatically clam up at the mere thought of sharks. If you can relate, you'll be horrified to see what was spotted swimming off the Gulf Coast just a couple of weeks ago...
Flickr Bernard DUPONT
Ridge Druilhet (king_daddy_rabbit on TikTok), filmed this school of sharks from his post on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana and Texas on Friday, July 28.
TikTok King Daddy Rabbit
It is unclear exactly what species the sharks were, but we can make a few educated guesses.
Wikimedia Commons Albert kok
There are several different kinds of Atlantic sharks, and while some are open-ocean dwellers, others prowl the coastline in search of food.
Wikimedia Commons Toadlady1
Species such as Atlantic blacktip, spinner and Atlantic sharpnose are prolific in the nearshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico, so those are all possibilities.
Wikimedia Commons Apex Predators Program, NOAA/NEFSC - http://nefsc.noaa.gov/rcb/photogallery/sharks/sharks.html
Experts also claim that it's totally normal for sharks to travel in schools - they are fish, after all.
Flickr Carrie Kellenberger
At the end of the day, this particular pack of sharks left humans well enough alone while swimming in their natural habitat, so everyone is happy.

Watch the sharks in action in this TikTok video by King Daddy Rabbit:

@king_daddy_rabbit #oilfield #sharks #sharkweek #fyp #beach ♬ original sound – King Daddy Rabbit

Did you hear about this horrifying incident? What other notable shark sightings in Texas have gone down in history?

Don’t let sharks scare you away from the Texas Gulf Coast – especially charming island towns like Galveston. Perhaps you’d like to rent an RV from RV Share and embark on a coastal road trip?

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