Close-up whale shark encounter stuns boaters off Florida coast: 'Once-in-a-lifetime experience'

DESTIN, Fla. - What began as a fishing trip for a Florida family ended with a "once-in-a-lifetime" wildlife encounter. 

It all went down last Saturday just off the coast of Destin, siblings Ashley and Jacob Nixon told FOX 35 News. They were headed offshore to fish for snapper when they spotted something in the water. 

"At first we didn't know what we were seeing until it came closer to us," Jacob said. 

That's when a massive whale shark was spotted swimming near their boat. 

Photo: Jacob Nixon

"I knew we were in the ocean and there's a possibility of seeing sharks, but this was unlike anything I've seen before," Ashley said. 

Whale sharks are known to be spotted in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the summer and fall, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. The endangered animals can grow up to 46 feet long and weigh 24,000 pounds. 

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"I was in awe, getting to see something of that magnitude up close," Ashley said.