Hundreds of sharks swarm off Texas Gulf coast in ‘rare’ display, video shows

Hundreds of sharks congregated near the Texas Gulf coast, in a “rare” display caught on camera.

In the underwater video, a massive group of spinner sharks is seen swimming past the camera like rush hour traffic, a tightly packed and seemingly unending flow of sleek, gray predators.

Named for their “wild aerobatic” behavior, spinner sharks are fast-swimming hunters that pursue their prey vigorously — often spinning and launching out of the water while chasing a meal.

While the fierce fish prefers patrolling shallow waters and can grow up to 10 feet in length, people have little to fear from them, experts say.

Shark attacks are rare, and rarer still by spinners, which are responsible for just 16 unprovoked attacks worldwide, none of them fatal, according to data from the Florida Museum of Natural History.

The 37-second clip of the spinners shows a “world-class example of shark congregating behavior,” the Center for Sportsfish Science and Conservation said in a Feb. 8 Facebook post, sharing the video.

“These congregations are rare and indicate healthy fish populations in the area,” the center said.

The sharks aren’t swarming just any old spot in the Gulf, they’re at a man-made reef that was established in recent years by state and private wildlife groups, dubbed the Keeping it Wild reef.

Located 6 miles off the coast of Port O’Connor, the habitat is made up mostly of 10-by-8 foot hollow concrete pyramids dotted with holes that sealife can dart into and through — offering the cover and relative safety provided by true reef habitats, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

The primary purpose of the Keeping it Wild reef is to “create better fishing for the public,” the foundation said.

Over time, the man-made habitat will come to resemble the real thing, and fish and other sealife will call it home, making a sustainable environment.

Seeing the reef inundated with spinner sharks is good sign that the project is succeeding, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said.

“Sharks are an indicator of ecosystem health. Generally, more sharks = more prey = a diverse and healthy fishery,” TPWD said in a post.

This story was originally published February 9, 2022 at 5:25 PM with the headline "Hundreds of sharks swarm off Texas Gulf coast in ‘rare’ display, video shows."