A Royal Caribbean guest was seconds away from jumping into the water at CocoCay when she saw something swimming beneath her

A couple on a Royal Caribbean cruise recently had their swim plans at CocoCay stopped in their tracks after spotting a large hammerhead shark in the water below them. The two, who run the TikTok account @thevacationclubgambler, captured the moment on video just as they were about to get in. The footage shows how quickly things can change at a private island destination like CocoCay.

The TikTok video has since gathered more than 140,700 views and started a wide conversation about swimming safety in the area. The couple, who also share content related to their timeshare ownership, opted not to get in the water after seeing the shark. In the video, they asked their followers, “Would you still jump in the ocean after seeing this?”

The comments section was filled with a mix of curiosity and fear. Some viewers shared their own stories of spotting sharks near CocoCay, and many suggested that the sharks commonly seen around the island are likely lemon sharks, which belong to a group of around 500 species that are generally not considered dangerous to people. One viewer wrote, “That’s the ocean, yer gonna find sharks in the ocean,” while another joked, “sharks??? in the ocean???? how dare they!”

Hammerhead sharks rarely attack humans, but fatal incidents near cruise destinations have occurred

While hammerhead sharks can look frightening, historical data suggests they rarely attack humans without being provoked. According to TheSea, larger species such as the great, scalloped, and smooth hammerhead have only attacked people without provocation a small number of times, and there are no recorded fatalities from unprovoked hammerhead attacks.

The site also notes that while these sharks are large enough to cause serious injury, they show very little tendency to act on it. That said, there have been fatal incidents involving water activities near cruise destinations in recent years. According to US News, in 2022, a 58-year-old woman died during an independent snorkeling trip in Green Cay while traveling aboard Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas.

According to Brobible, that same location was also reportedly the site of a fatal shark attack involving a 21-year-old woman three years before that incident. Royal Caribbean has also faced other passenger-related situations aboard its ships, including a passenger suing the cruise line over an onboard fall.

More recently, in 2026, a woman named Erica Fox reportedly died in a fatal shark attack off the coast of California, even though she was reportedly wearing a shark band designed to keep sharks away. Taken together, these incidents suggest that while such events remain uncommon, the risk is not entirely absent, particularly during independent water activities away from monitored areas.

For those concerned about safety in the ocean, Elaine K. Howley, a reporter for U.S. Masters Swimming, recommends avoiding murky water and swimming in groups while staying close to shore. Not every Royal Caribbean cruise story involves danger, however, one passenger recently shared how a Royal Caribbean overbooking situation turned into an unexpected dream vacation at almost no cost.

If a swimmer does come across a shark in the water, Howley advises staying calm and keeping the animal in sight while quietly making your way back to shore. If a shark is blocking the path to shore, she suggests giving it as much space as possible so it can continue moving without feeling cornered or threatened. Following these basic precautions can help keep a cruise vacation safe and incident-free.