What was supposed to be a laid-back shelling cruise turned into a front-row shark show today when guests aboard a Hubbard’s Marina trip watched a roughly 10-foot great white glide past Shell Key, the barrier island off Madeira Beach.
The shark cruised within about 25 to 75 yards of the sandbar, shadowing large schools of tarpon and hanging around for roughly 15 minutes before heading south. About 49 people were on the boat, and plenty of phones came out as guests snapped photos and video of the surprise visitor.
Charter captain calls it a ‘stop-everything’ moment
According to WTSP, Hubbard’s Marina shared crew photos of the shark and described it as “calm but curious” as it cruised near the sandbar.
Capt. Dylan Hubbard told the outlet that spotting a shark that size so close to the island was a “stop-everything” moment for everyone on board, the kind of sighting that instantly shuts down small talk and sends everyone to the rail…