click bait headline, but I think it belongs here anyway 'Cocaine Sharks' Might Be Feasting On Drugs Dumped Off Florida Coast By Zuri Anderson A researcher is concerned thousands of sharks off the Florida coast might be chowing down on bales of cocaine dumped by drug smugglers trying to get their product into the United States. Marine biologist Tom Hird is revealing what he observed when sharks interact with these drugs, which will be the focus of an upcoming documentary called Cocaine Sharks. Hird, known as "The Blowfish," told Live Science it's not just illegal substances tainting the waters. "The deeper story here is the way that chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and illicit drugs are entering our waterways — entering our oceans — and what effect that they then could go on to have on these delicate ocean ecosystems," he explained. For decades, drug smugglers would toss tightly-packaged bales of cocaine into the ocean, pick them up later, and bring them into America. Sometimes, their product ends up washing up on Florida beaches, which are seized by either local authorities or federal agencies. Hird traveled to the Florida Keys to investigate these claims, diving into the waters to observe sharks' behavior. During his trials, he and University of Florida environmental scientist Tracy Fanara released packages that appeared similar to actual cocaine bales. The sharks immediately rushed at bales, bit them, and in one instance, even carried a package away, according to the researchers. There was even a "bait ball" that would release fish powder triggering a dopamine rush similar to cocaine, sending the sharks into a frenzy. "We gave them what I think is the next best thing. [It] set [their] brains aflame," Hird described. "It was crazy." Hird stressed that this doesn't mean the sharks may have actually eaten cocaine and other illicit drugs. He said the research needs to be repeated multiple times for a proper conclusion. It remains to be seen if this trend poses a threat to humans. Shark bites are already extremely rare, including in hot spots like Florida which was dubbed the "shark bite capital of the world" by the Florida Museum of Natural History. Cocaine Sharks will premiere on the Discovery Channel during Shark Week, which kicks off on Sunday, July 23.