Watch as hundreds of sharks lurk near unsuspecting swimmers at beach in state with nearly 20 ATTACKS so far this year | The Sun

THIS is the moment hundreds of sharks were spotted lurking near unsuspecting beachgoers in a state with almost 20 attacks this year.

Swimmers appeared totally unaware of the shiver of sharks grouped together off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico at Pensacola Beach in Florida.

In footage, shared by WEAR-TV, the drone scans the below beach, filming the bathers below.

Some people appear to be relaxing on the sand while others have waded out into the water.

But as the video moves further into the depths of the Gulf,

People who viewed the footage online appeared shocked at how close the sharks were lingering to the beachgoers.

One person said: "The only thing I like about the ocean is looking at it."

Another said: "Wow that's why I don't go in except to my knees and they still can swim that close. I'd rather just tan and sit in a chair by the water to cool off."

Someone else said: "Boy, I’d pay a small fee or donation if there was a drone keeping an eye out while I’m in the water."

Parks and Recreation officials have already put swimmers on high alert due to an increase in shark sightings reported earlier than usual this summer.

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Of the shark attack bites in the United States this year, the vast majority have been in Florida.

The state has had at least 19 shark incidents while New York has seen six and five in South Carolina.

Of the 61 shark attack bites in 2022 publicly reported and verified, as of August 18, six were fatal.

Data shows Florida has had the most attacks in the world, with Australia sitting at 10 shark bites, according to Tracking Sharks.

Several factors, including warming ocean temperatures, are contributing to an increase in shark activity in cities along the Atlantic Ocean coastline and West Coast.

'SHARK ATTACK CAPITAL'

The state has become known as the shark capital of the world after a resurgence of the bunker fish population is also luring them to area waters.

Atlantic White Shark Conservancy scientist Megan Winton issued a great white shark alert after experts warned of a mass migration of the predators.

Last month, a man's leg was left in shreds after he was mauled by what was believed to be a shark off a Florida coast as lifeguards raced to save him.

Witnesses at the scene in Jacksonville said they did not see a shark in the water, so they can’t confirm if that is what injured the man. 

Robert Alexander, a witness, said he heard people screaming at the beach around noon on Saturday and saw a man in the water waving his hand for help.

Alexander told News4JAX that he saw a lot of blood in the water and within 10 feet he could see a six to seven-foot shadow of what may have been a shark in the water.

“I started splashing, making a lot of loud noises and next thing I know it was kind of tunnel vision, and I grabbed him, put him on his boogie board,” said Alexander.

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A teenage boy has also suffered a possible shark bite in Florida in July while a girl lost part of her leg after being brutally attacked by a nine-foot shark, police said.

The bloody encounter occurred Thursday in Keaton Beach in northwestern Florida.

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