Not a Dolphin or a Whale: Viral Video Shows Shark Flying Into the Air Off Rockaway Beach

A shark leaping from sea surface into the air is not your usual daily sighting. Still, a person was able to capture the spectacular view on camera while her family was on a surfing lesson on the waters of Rockaway Beach in New York City.

The footage of it went viral across social media platforms in recent days.

Jumping Shark Viral Video

The community newspaper Rockaway Times posted the viral video on Twitter on Wednesday, July 20.

The footage was originally taken by Tricia Gahn on Tuesday, July 19, while her husband was reportedly teaching their son, Timmy, how to surf.

In the five-second video, viewers will notice the calm waters off Rockaway Beach when a small shark of unknown species suddenly jumped from depths and into the air out of nowhere.

The newspaper's Twitter video has garnered over 1,600 likes and has been retweeted more than 300 times as of early morning on Thursday, July 21.

Spinner Shark Appearance

While the identity of the shark remains ambiguous, one of the commentators of the viral footage mentioned that it appears to be a spinner shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna).

According to the Florida Museum, the said shark species has a slender build with a combination of gray and bronze color.

Its name has been derived for its distinctive ability of "aerial spinning behavior" at the sea surface.

The behavior is exhibited when the shark is feeding, usually through schools of fish.

Spinner sharks target its prey by moving in a spinning or spiral movement along their longitudinal axis, catching the fish as they swim from the water toward the surface, the Florida Museum noted.

There are instances where it could reach as high as 20 feet above the water surface.

With this, the description of the University of Florida's museum of the spinner shark resembles that of the shark from the video.

However, the museum said there are times when they are mistaken for blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus), which almost has a similar appearance.

Spinner Shark Habitat

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) stated that the distribution of spinner shark population is found for both inland and offshore waters, especially in bodies with higher salinities.

However, juvenile spinners are known for following the tide all the way to lower portions of bays.

In the United States, the presence and migration of the can range along coast areas of the Atlantic Ocean and Northern Gulf of Mexico.

In the Atlantic coast, the route includes the waters from Florida to North Carolina, the US wildlife agency adds.

Furthermore, the FWC also highlights that their primary diet includes pelagic fish, including baitfish, rays, squid, and octopus.

The spinner sharks are often captured for sport with a trolling tackle and leaps out of water when hooked, in addition to the commercial value due to their marketable hide, fins, flesh, and liver.