Florida spearfisherman goes for a dive. Then 3 sharks attack, and all he has is his speargun: ‘Why they so hungry for you?’

A July 2026 dive turned into a high-stakes standoff for Florida spearfisherman Matthew Piendak when three massive sharks circled him in the Gulf of Mexico. Matthew Piendak shared a wild video of the incident on Facebook, writing in the caption: “Attacked by three sharks on my safety stop. Had to fend them off till the boat came.”

According to Piendak’s Facebook post, the encounter happened while he was completing a safety stop during a dive near Destin. Destin is in northwestern Florida, in Okaloosa County along the Gulf of Mexico. Piendak’s social media presence shows his involvement in spearfishing and diving content.

The video shows Piendak underwater as sharks move close to him. He uses his unloaded speargun to keep a distance between himself and the animals before the situation ends.

The species is unclear, but they appear to be a species that rarely attacks

The Gulf of Mexico contains several shark species. These include bull sharks, blacktip sharks, spinner sharks, lemon sharks, and tiger sharks.

The region also supports populations of other coastal shark species, like sandbar sharks, which some reports speculate are the sharks in Piendak’s video. His video does not confirm the sharks’ species.

The sharks likely approached because the water vibration of spearfishing acts as a “dinner bell” for food. Piendak’s speargun was unloaded, which is common for spearfishermen to avoid accidental discharge at the surface, forcing him to use the blunt tip defensively.

Though generally docile, sandbar sharks can easily exceed seven feet in length and are primarily found in coastal waters, according to NOAA Fisheries. Their powerful jaws and competitive feeding instincts make them a formidable force if they associate a diver with food.

Wildlife biologist Forrest Galante told OutKick Outdoors, “They don’t have hands. They can’t feel it,” of shark behavior in Piendak’s video, “so that investigative bite can be very, very damaging and, in some cases, fatal.”

Galante added, “So when they’re trying to figure out if something is or isn’t food, that can be a problem. Most of the time, we’re not even on the menu. They’re just trying to figure out if we are.”

However, sandbar sharks are not one of the species most responsible for attacks on humans. Marine experts often advise divers to remain calm, avoid sudden movements, and maintain awareness of their surroundings when sharks approach.

Piendak’s post drew reactions from viewers. One commenter wrote, “Bruh!!! Why they so hungry for you?!! Not enough fish in the sea? Did you have a stringer on…. Dang man that’s a nightmare to come to pass! Glad you are safe!”