It's winter in South Florida, and beach-goers are enjoying the warm water. But two football fields out, thousands of blacktip sharks are swimming along the Palm Beach shoreline. WPBF 25 got to check out aerial footage above the waters. "All the little dots, every single one of those is a shark," said Florida Atlantic University professor of biological sciences, Dr. Stephen Kajiura.Download the WPBF 25 News app: IOS | AndroidBlacktip sharks can grow up to 6 feet long.Since 2011, Kajiura and his students have been tracking the species' winter migration."This year, the sharks are coming in a little late. Typically, they get here around January or so, but this year they aren't arriving until the end of January," said Kajiura.When migrating north, the sharks usually travel the Atlantic coastline to Georgia and the Carolinas.Kajuira said as of late, some they have caught and tagged have migrated as far north as New York.Through research, the professor hopes to answer several questions: Why the late migration? How many sharks are present? What is drawing sharks further north?"So, this indicates there northern migration is actually expanding. They're moving farther and farther north, and it may be in response to global climate change. The water is getting warmer," said Kajuira.Kajuira said in his last flight out over Palm Beach, he spotted more than 10,000 sharks.When asked if South Floridians heading to the beach should be concerned, he said, "The general answer is no. For the most part, these sharks are really skittish, so when you get in the water, they're going to scatter and go away."Kajiura plans to go up and take another aerial look at the sharks this weekend.

It's winter in South Florida, and beach-goers are enjoying the warm water. But two football fields out, thousands of blacktip sharks are swimming along the Palm Beach shoreline.

WPBF 25 got to check out aerial footage above the waters. "All the little dots, every single one of those is a shark," said Florida Atlantic University professor of biological sciences, Dr. Stephen Kajiura.


Download the WPBF 25 News app: IOS | Android

Blacktip sharks can grow up to 6 feet long.



Since 2011, Kajiura and his students have been tracking the species' winter migration.



"This year, the sharks are coming in a little late. Typically, they get here around January or so, but this year they aren't arriving until the end of January," said Kajiura.



When migrating north, the sharks usually travel the Atlantic coastline to Georgia and the Carolinas.



Kajuira said as of late, some they have caught and tagged have migrated as far north as New York.



Through research, the professor hopes to answer several questions: Why the late migration? How many sharks are present? What is drawing sharks further north?



"So, this indicates there northern migration is actually expanding. They're moving farther and farther north, and it may be in response to global climate change. The water is getting warmer," said Kajuira.



Kajuira said in his last flight out over Palm Beach, he spotted more than 10,000 sharks.



When asked if South Floridians heading to the beach should be concerned, he said, "The general answer is no. For the most part, these sharks are really skittish, so when you get in the water, they're going to scatter and go away."



Kajiura plans to go up and take another aerial look at the sharks this weekend.