Most beach visitors don't expect to see big sharks just a few feet from the shoreline.

  • Visitors in Ormond Beach had to get out because of a shallow water shark encounter
  • The shark was seven to eight feet long
  • Most shark attacks actually occur in nearshore waters

Buca and Richanda from Merritt Island consider a visit to Ormond Beach a vacation and a change of pace from home.

On Sunday, they had an encounter they won't soon forget: a large shark swimming so close to them, they could touch it.

"We were only in about calf-deep water. So it wasn't like we were out past our knees, I mean he was close inland," said Buca, who prefers to use his only first name.

Lifeguards called for swimmers to get out of the water until the shark left the area.

Buca says for some swimmers, it was a moment of sheer terror. For he and others, it was an opportunity to record the ocean predator.

"From filming to freaking out. There were some people who would not get back in the water,” Buca said. “We stayed there another four hours. Some people wouldn't get back in."

Buca says watching the shark in its natural habitat was better than seeing it in captivity.

"It was cooler than ever going to SeaWorld, and seeing that, you know, that's neat,” he said. “But to be five foot from a seven to eight foot shark, that's pretty cool."

Buca says the shark was not feeding. He was awestruck watching the shark swim up the coastline as people got out of its way.

"It was awesome. It was a perfect day and you get to see something like that, you don't get to see if very often,” Buca said. “I'll tell you, 45 years, it's the first time I've been that close to a shark."

Facts about Shark Encounters

Each year millions of people visit Florida's beaches and waterways. Last year Florida had only 30 attacks, still more than any other state, but not a record high.

This is according to the International Shark Attack File, which is housed at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

Brevard and Volusia counties had the highest numbers of attacks in the state, with eight and seven attacks, respectively.

No one was killed in a shark attack.

The ISAF says most shark attacks occur in nearshore waters, such as inshore of a sandbar or between sandbars were sharks feed. Areas with steep dropoffs can also lead to shark encounters.

The most common form of shark attack is called a "hit and run" attack. This is when a shark might mistake a human target for normal prey, bite, realize the human is a foreign object or too large, and then swim off. Victims usually don't see the attacker. These attacks are seldom life-threatening.

The other two forms of shark attack are known as "bump and bite" and "sneak attacks." In a bump and bite, the shark might circle the victim or bump them prior to the attack. It usually happens in somewhat deeper waters. Sneak attacks occur without warning, and the victim may suffer sustained bites or multiple injuries.

To reduce the risk of getting bitten by a shark, consider these tips:

  • Stay in groups since sharks are more likely to attack one person
  • Don't wander too far from shore, especially not past the first sandbar
  • Don't swim in twilight hours or after dark
  • Don't enter the water if you are bleeding
  • Don't wear shiny jewelry because it resembles the sheen of fish scales
  • Avoid uneven tanning and bright colored clothing because sharks see contrast very well
  • Refrain from excess splashing
  • Don't allow pets in the water
  • Avoid murky water