An aspiring German actress claims she was unaware of the presence of a big shark as it swam just feet away from her.

Simone Gutsche, 34, claimed that stunned beachgoers near Orlando, Florida, waved frantically at her, but she mistook them for friends.

She states that she hesitated to exit until everyone began yelling and running away from the water.

Until she saw a picture later, Ms. Gutsche, a secretary who also works as a model and actor on the side, didn’t think a shark was swimming 15 feet behind her.

The shark’s fin appears to be sticking out of the water while she appears to be splashing in the waves while wearing a green bikini.

She told the German tabloid Bild that life was wonderful on Cocoa Beach. Only a few couples were on the beach, and there were none in the water. The solitude was really quite beautiful.

“I waved back at them since I wanted to be pleasant and a few individuals started waving at me.”

After seeing the picture, she continued, “I was so terrified that I didn’t put a foot in the ocean for the rest of the day.”

Tiger sharks, which can be dangerous, frequently visit the beach in Cape Canaveral.

They can grow to be 21 feet long and are, along with white sharks, the most dangerous species for people.