Twitter falls for fake shark video from Hurricane Ian—after years of debunking viral clip

A viral video of a shark in the streets in Florida is likely fake, but that hasn’t stopped Twitter from losing its mind over the footage.

The video was posted by Brad Habuda and appears to show a shark in the flood waters after Florida was hit by Hurricane Ian on Wednesday.

“somehow a shark ended up in a Fort Myers neighborhood during Hurricane Ian,” he wrote.

The video caused a stir online because for years, one picture of a shark swimming on a highway would always go viral after hurricanes, only to be repeatedly debunked.

The video has garnered over 1,000 retweets and 2,400 likes. It was also picked up by @US_Stormwatch, where it has over 7,000 retweets and 20,000 likes.

However, another user posted the same video at 10am, well before the storm surge of Hurricane Ian inundated the Sunshine State.

One user was quick to point out the apparently phony shark.

“Don’t think this is real,” said Mercyhurst University professor Leslie Guelcher. “According to the index on the video it was created in June 2010. Someone else posted it at 10 AM as in Fort Myers, but the storm surge wasn’t like that at 10 AM.”

The video even fooled some journalists who are typically quick to debunk online falsehoods, like the shark in the highway.

“After over half a decade of debunking this hoax every time there was a flood or hurricane, I can’t believe I’m looking at an honest-to-god street shark,” wrote one journalist. “Good to finally meet you, pal.”

“A…real, genuine shark-in-the-street situation?!?! As opposed to the hoax sharks-in-the-street videos that make the rounds every time there’s a big hurricane?” wrote another.

Other users were quick to make jokes about the situation.

“Poor thing, it’s heartbreaking to see its reaction as it realizes it’s in Florida,” one user wrote.

Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida on Wednesday, bringing with it heavy rains, flooding, and winds up to 150 MPH.

Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.