THIS is the astonishing moment a shark fights a stingray as shocked beachgoers watch on from the shore.
The nail-biting brawl was captured by a tourist off Panama City Beach along Florida’s Gulf coast on July 31.
A shark and stingray were caught on video battling in shallow waters just off Panama City Beach, Florida[/caption]
Shocked onlookers watched from the shore[/caption]
The shark’s fin is seen breaking the surface of the water[/caption]
A dozen shark bites are recorded each year in the Sunshine State, with the last fatal attack reported in 2010.
Footage shared online shows the shark’s fin jutting out of the water as it creeps menacingly towards the stingray.
Meanwhile, crowds are seen gathering around the shore to catch a better look, as one person shouts: “Oh my God, is it eating it?”
Just metres away, the gargantuan stingray breaks the waves’ surface with its glistening fin.
After tussling in the sea, the pair appear to swim off in separate directions.
According to biologists, it’s not uncommon for sharks and stingrays to interact.
Some shark species also mistake swimmers for prey – sometimes leading to fatal incidents.
Earlier this month, a surfer was mauled by a shark at New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
Lifeguards sprang into action and fellow surfers used a leash to act as a tourniquet.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Bender recalled the horror.
“I felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere,” he told the outlet.
“I never saw the shark, but it bit really forcefully. It felt like electricity.”
He revealed he was squeezing the area left mangled by the shark bite.
Bender had to undergo surgery but his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
This comes as a woman from Las Vegas was left seriously injured after a shark sank its teeth into her during her first-ever trip to the state.
The terrifying attack happened on May 27 in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, just south of Pompano Beach.
Emily Ross was snorkeling in waist-deep water when she spotted the animal’s tail.
“I was just wandering around looking at the fish, and then I saw the tail of the shark,” she told Fox affiliate KVVU-TV.
