Watch Hundreds of Sharks Surround a Boat and Ignite a Feeding Frenzy

Group of Lemon Sharks
Yann hubert/Shutterstock.com

Written by Angie Menjivar

Updated: October 22, 2023

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Just like some humans, sharks aren’t great at sharing. What’s theirs is theirs and there’s no negotiation. They’re not the type to invite their friends over for a meal. They enjoy their prey solo. In the video below, you see what happens when numerous sharks go after the same prey. It’s intense!

Witness the Shark Feeding Frenzy in the Video Below!

There’s nothing but chaotic splashes and glimpses of fins in the water that surrounds this boat.

What Is a Shark Feeding Frenzy?

A shark feeding frenzy is when several different sharks start engaging in a fight, each trying to grab hold of the same prey. It’s madness and they may get so hyper focused and enraged that they end up taking bites out of each other. Their singlemindedness serves them poorly in a frenzy. If you’ve ever seen a black Friday video or bravely partaken in shopping on this day, you know the energy of a frenzy is downright dangerous. Sharks love eating and they don’t share so you can imagine how extreme a shark feeding frenzy can get.

Caribbean reef shark

Caribbean reef sharks follow their pecking order, even when engaged in a feeding frenzy.

What Causes a Shark Feeding Frenzy?

If sharks can take their pick between healthy, strong prey and injured prey, they go for the disadvantaged option. It’s much easier to kick them when they’re already down. In fact, sharks have the ability to sense when prey is in a distressed state. It’s like an alarm that blares, telling them where to go. The problem is that more than one shark may get the call and head on over. This usually happens around fishing boats when fishermen pull in lots of distressed fish in a net. Nearby sharks get the alert, and they head over.

Feeding frenzies don’t occur frequently. They’re not really a naturally occurring event and require something exceptionally stimulating in the water. Interestingly, some sharks keep their wits about them despite the chaos, following through with their already established pecking order. The Caribbean reef shark is an example of a shark that behaves intentionally amid a feeding frenzy.

Mealtime off the Louisiana Coast

The video below shows a shark feeding frenzy off the Louisiana Coast, captured by a man on a fishing boat. There aren’t just a couple of sharks in the water — they’re all around the boat, creating chaos. Their fins splash wildly in the water, turning it white with the intensity of their movements. They’re splashing so much, the men on the boat are getting wet. There is no sense of order, and the chaos ensues from the start of the video to the very end.


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About the Author

Angie Menjivar is a writer at A-Z-Animals primarily covering pets, wildlife, and the human spirit. She has 14 years of experience, holds a Bachelor's degree in psychology, and continues her studies into human behavior, working as a copywriter in the mental health space. She resides in North Carolina, where she's fallen in love with thunderstorms and uses them as an excuse to get extra cuddles from her three cats.

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