Great white shark sighted off Shell Key

Guests on a Hubbard’s Marina shelling excursion got an unexpected look at one of the Gulf’s top predators Friday morning when a large shark, identified by the marina as a great white, surfaced near the shoreline at Shell Key.

According to Hubbard’s staff, the sighting happened around 11:15 a.m. during a three-hour shelling trip that departed at 10 a.m. from John’s Pass. Forty-nine passengers were on the excursion. Many were searching the beach when the shark appeared in shallow water an estimated 25 to 75 yards offshore.

The animal was estimated at 9 to 10 feet long and remained in the area for roughly 15 minutes. Hubbard’s said the shark appeared to be tracking schools of tarpon moving along the beach, a scene that turned a routine outing into something closer to a nature documentary.

Drone footage captured by the crew showed the shark moving parallel to the shoreline before continuing south.

The moment drew immediate attention because of both the shark’s size and its proximity to shore. But the sighting also fit a familiar pattern for Florida waters in spring, when baitfish and larger game fish draw predators closer to the coast.

“Seeing a shark of this size and grace so close to the island is a stop-everything moment for our guests,” Capt. Dylan Hubbard, owner of Hubbard’s Marina, said in a prepared statement. “We see incredible wildlife every day, from pods of dolphins to sea turtles, but to see an apex predator following the tarpon run is a powerful reminder of how healthy and diverse our local ecosystem is right now.”

Hubbard’s emphasized that shark sightings, while dramatic, are part of the normal marine environment along the Gulf coast. The company said the animal kept its distance from the group and showed no aggressive behavior before leaving the area.

That distinction matters in a region where shark headlines can quickly stir alarm. Experts and wildlife officials have long noted that sharks are common in Florida waters and that most sightings do not signal unusual danger for swimmers or boaters. In many cases, the animals are simply following food sources.

Shell Key Preserve, managed by Pinellas County, covers about 1,800 acres and protects barrier island habitat, mangroves and seagrass beds that support a wide range of marine life. Hubbard’s, a family-run operation that dates to 1928, regularly runs trips in the area and markets the preserve as one of the region’s best places to see coastal wildlife.