Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL HomeBeach goers get up close encounter with sharks

Beach goers get up close encounter with sharks

By Walter Makaula - bio | email

KANEOHE (KHNL) - Some would call the next piece of video you're about to see, both exciting and disturbing.

It's video you'll see only on KHNL News 8.

It was just another ordinary day at the Sand Bar.

But that until some unexpected guests arrived.

"Run, get out of there!" yelled a beach goer.

Bridget De Peralta saw a school of sharks headed directly for her family.

"I was yelling and trying to tell people get out," said De Peralta. "I was trying to make my husband get out and I thought he would make all his friends get out too,"

Most of them did. But a few stayed in the water. They seemed mesmerized by the action taking place right before their eyes.

"They were flipping around and then they started to come closer to my husband and friends," said De Peralta.

We slowed down the video, and brought in shark expert Randy Honebrink to watch it with us.

"I've never seen any video like that before," said Honebrink.

And he's not talking about just the sharks.

"Those guys are getting pretty close to them," said Honebrink. "That's kind of crazy."

After close inspection, he determines there are several species in the school, and the largest one is definitely worthy of respect.

"The biggest one that we saw there is definitely a good sized shark, and anything that is 8 feet or bigger can certainly do some serious damage to people," said Honebrink.

And in a matter of minutes, they were all gone,

But the vision of sharks swimming around her family and friends remain.

"Stay in the boat!" yelled a beach goer.

Honebrink estimates the largest shark in the group to be between seven and nine feet long.

He advises ocean goers to get out of the water in situations like this.