'Snooty' the smiling shark spotted off the coast of Florida
A 9-foot female lemon shark who has become a celebrity thanks to her uncanny resemblance to Bruce the shark in "Finding Nemo." (Ocean Rays Photography/FOX 35)
An infamous shark dubbed "Snooty" was seen exploring the Florida coastline, prompting people to comment on the shark's uncanny resemblance to the shark in the beloved family film, "Finding Nemo."
The 9-foot female lemon shark has become a Florida celebrity thanks to her razor sharp smile and recurring presence on the Florida coast. The shark became a viral sensation thanks to underwater photographer Rayna O’Nan, who runs the Instagram page Ocean Rays Photography,.
'Snooty' was filmed in Jupiter, Florida by Ocean Ray Photography (Ocean Ray Photography via FOX 35)
Bruce the shark is from the popular 2003 "Finding Nemo" movie. (Disney)
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O'Nan shared her most recent close encounter with Snooty and the posts garnered nearly 170,000 likes and thousands of comments.
In the video, Snooty approaches O’Nan near the surface, the shark grinning broadly as always. She then swims right up to the diver’s outstretched hand, and O’Nan gives her a pat on the nose.
Snooty was caught on camera swimming up to a diver in Florida, with the shark's permanent ‘smile’ visible. (Ocean Ray Photography via FOX 35)
"So happy to have the queen grace us with her presence on my snorkel trip," O'Nan wrote in the caption.
"So happy to have the queen grace us with her presence on my snorkel trip."
The diver shared that the famous shark typically peruses the waters of West Palm Beach and Jupiter, Florida, in the cool months between November and May. She then migrates to cooler waters in the hot summer months.
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"So, I’ve known Snooty for about six years," O’Nan told FOX 35. "And [I’ve] been working with her for about three years."
Snooty is a viral sensation thanks to her big toothy grin. (Ocean Ray Photography via FOX 35)
Snooty first became a sensation in 2019 when a photograph of her was given an honorable mention in an underwater photo competition. The photo, of the female lemon shark grinning, was picked out from thousands of entries to the 2019 Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition.
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Lemon sharks can be found in shallow coastal waters, in mangrove forests and coral keys in parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Many, like Snooty, live in the areas around the Gulf of Mexico, feeding on ocean life.
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