Florida man paddles right into a bull shark while kayaking

Journalist Drew Petrimoulx was kayaking in Tampa Bay, Florida, when he crossed paths with a terrifying bull shark.

In a series of videos uploaded to TikTok, Petrimoulx shared his “close call” with the world, terrifying timid users in the process.

“Oh my god, that’s a big a** shark,” Petrimoulx says in the first video as a giant bull shark circles his kayak. “What is going on? Holy f***.”

In the second video, Petrimoulx points out that the shark appears to have a hook in its mouth, though it swims away before he can investigate further.

@drewpetrimoulx

PART 2 for all the “it was just a nurse shark” people. No, it wasn’t. #bullshark #kayakfishing #sharkencounter #tampabay #florida #fyp

♬ original sound – drewpetrimoulx

Petrimoulx’s videos, which have 287,000 likes and 33,000 likes respectively, have incited widespread fear and paranoia among TikTok users.

“I would be hysterically crying,” one person said.

“This gives me anxiety,” another user added.

“My biggest fear,” a third user noted.

In a follow-up comment, Petrimoulx noted that he was kayaking “near a known bull shark breeding ground” and therefore wasn’t too surprised when he came across the aggressive creature.

In fact, in Florida, bull sharks aren’t all that uncommon. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, this apex predator often “inhabits estuarine, nearshore and offshore waters of both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of Florida.”

If you enjoyed this story, check out this TikTok user who came within feet of a shark while hanging out at the beach.

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