HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — A waterspout spun up off the beaches of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Tuesday morning.
Video captured by the island’s Shore Beach Service shows the funnel rotating in the ocean and kicking up water towards the sky.
A waterspout is a column of cloud-filled wind that spins over a body of water, according to National Geographic.
There are two types of waterspouts, tornadic and fair weather, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Fair weather waterspouts, like the one seen in Hilton Head, are usually less dangerous than their tornadic counterparts and dissipate quickly. Both require high levels of humidity and warm water temperatures to form.
The National Weather Service says waterspouts are fairly common along the South Carolina coast between the months of June and September.
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