Watch a Hammerhead Hunt a Tarpon Feet from Key West Tourists

Quick Take

• The hammerhead's bizarre head shape isn't just iconic. It gives them a specific hunting edge in shallow water that other sharks simply can't match. See the head advantage →
• Standing feet away from an actively hunting hammerhead sounds terrifying, yet there is a precise reason those onlookers were never the target. Why onlookers were safe →
• Shallow water seems like the last place a 1,000-pound apex predator would choose to hunt, yet for hammerheads it turns out to be the ideal arena. Why shallow water works →
• Tarpon can reach 300 pounds and are built to fight, yet an encounter with a hammerhead ends so quickly. How can that be? How tarpon are overpowered →

The ocean is full of sharks, one being the unique hammerhead shark, which often hunts in shallow waters. In Florida, can find these sharks hunting fish like tarpon. This Instagram post by @accuweather shows a hammerhead shark chasing a tarpon in Key West right beside onlookers.

Hammerhead Shark Hunting

The video above was taken in Key West, Florida, and shows a hammerhead shark pursuing a tarpon in very shallow waters. Onlookers were extremely close, with the shark getting only a few feet away from them during the chase. Thankfully, nobody was hurt as the shark left them alone, but the video is an amazing look at how quick they are in the water. Tarpons are an opportunistic prey for hammerheads, whose diet primarily consists of rays, other sharks, and reef fish. Since both animals inhabit the waters of the Florida Keys, encounters like this are common. With an abundance of tarpon, hammerheads always have abundant prey. Though many people don’t realize hammerhead sharks will access water so shallow, these hunts regularly occur just off the coast!

The chase between hammerheads and tarpons is intense. Both animals are carnivorous fish that grow to large sizes. Tarpons can grow to around eight feet long and weigh roughly 300 pounds, and they feed on other fish. Hammerheads can grow up to 20 feet and weigh up to 1,000 pounds! Because of their sheer size, hunts can be dramatic and are not uncommon to see. Shallow waters are a perfect place for hammerheads to hunt. Thanks to their uniquely shaped heads, they have amazing sensory advantages in shallower waters compared to other sharks. Thankfully, humans aren’t on these predators’ menu. While it may be terrifying to be this close to a shark, the hammerhead’s aggression is directed at its prey. Regardless, if you do see a hammerhead in the water, especially one that is actively hunting, it’s best to stay clear.