Thousands Of Sharks Shut Florida Beaches

Beaches along the south Florida coast have been shut after thousands of migrating sharks were spotted close to the shore.

Swimmers were ordered out of the water after the sharks - mostly blacktips and spinners - moved into the area as they head north during their annual migration.

Craig Pollock, a lifeguard supervisor in Palm Beach, said: "We don't have a sandbar. A lot of times when we have a sandbar the sharks stay off of the shore a little further.

"Every year we expect annual shark migration to come through this area."

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University said they have counted 15,000 sharks - many as close as 200 yards from the shore.

Video footage showed dozens of the predators swimming through breakers along the coast line.

Beaches in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Singer Island were closed, with double red flags warning swimmers to keep out of the water.

Beachgoer Elizabeth Horowitz said: "People really need to heed these warnings because thank God it's a public beach and they have lifeguards and they have these warnings.

"Sharks are not to be reckoned with."