Great White Shark Sighted Off Venice, Florida Coast

In-Depth Analysis

On January 7, 2026, Captain Brad Clark and his wife, Yvette, were filming a pod of dolphins when a great white shark suddenly surfaced near their boat, approximately 27 miles west of Venice Jetty. The encounter was captured on video and quickly made headlines.

Dr. Bob Hueter, a senior advisor with OCEARCH, explained that great white sharks migrate to the Gulf of Mexico during the cooler months as water temperatures drop. OCEARCH has tagged around 110 great whites along the Atlantic Coast, and about half a dozen are currently estimated to be in the Gulf.

While such sightings are rare so close to shore, Dr. Hueter assured that swimmers are not at risk, as these sharks typically remain far offshore. The Clarks, who operate Aquaholic Charters, previously had another encounter with great whites in March 2024 while observing sharks feeding off a sperm whale carcass.

This recent sighting serves as a reminder of the dynamic marine ecosystem off Florida's coast and provides valuable data for shark researchers.

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FAQ

Is it common to see great white sharks off the coast of Florida?

Great white sharks are known to inhabit the Gulf of Mexico during the cooler months, but sightings close to shore are relatively rare.

Are swimmers at risk from these sharks?

According to experts, great white sharks rarely come close to the beach, so swimmers are generally not at risk.

What is OCEARCH?

OCEARCH is an organization that tags and tracks sharks to study their behavior and migration patterns.

Takeaways

Great white sharks are present in the Gulf of Mexico during the cooler months.
Sightings close to shore are rare but can occur.
Swimmers are generally not at risk, as these sharks stay offshore.
Organizations like OCEARCH are actively tracking and studying these sharks to better understand their behavior.

Discussion

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Sources

Great white shark surfaces off Venice coast near charter captain’s boat: ‘Just crazy’ Florida anglers in awe as great white shark surfaces, striking boat Rare great white shark sighting surprises couple dolphin watching on Florida’s Gulf Coast

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