Shark attacks on vacation

WHAT WILL YOUR NEXT VACATION BRING YOU?

Well, hopefully not a shark bite :)

I WAS IN THE OUTER BANKS THIS PAST WEEK AND NO MATTER WHERE I WENT I COULD NOT ESCAPE THE CONSTANT WHISPERS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SHARK ATTACKS.

SHARKS ON VACATION, SAY IT ISN'T SO!!!

For the state of North Carolina, the past two months have been record breaking for shark attacks, eight attacks in less than a month, and while it may alarm some we really are not experiencing a Jaws situation.  What we are going through is what National Geographic called the "Perfect Storm" for shark attacks.

When you combine drought conditions, warmer weather, bait fish, coastal anglers, and global warming you will get higher salinity warm water that brings the bait fish closer to shore, making fishing more enticing to anglers, all of which entices sharks to come closer to shore.

So it really is not the Attack of Jaws, but rather a mix of environmental and human issues that have caused all these shark attacks.  We need to always remember that we are entering their world, and that they are more threatened by us then we are them.

There are a few simple, keystone rules to follow when swimming in the ocean...

HERE ARE MY PERSONAL TIPS TO AVOID A SHARK ATTACK

1. Do not swim near piers or fisherman.  

Sharks can smell the tiniest amount of blood from miles away so doesn't it make sense to avoid places that have hundreds of pieces of bait in the water??

2. Splashing is like a dinner bell to sharks.

Unless you are serving up a side of arm or leg, I would avoid splashing around as much as possible.

3. Avoid bright colored swimsuits, jewelry, and surfboards.

The shininess closely resembles the scales of a fish....make sense???

4. If murky - stay out

If the water is murky, it will not only impair your ability to see whats in the water, but also the sharks.  You may become an accidental snack for a shark that was just having problems seeing.

5.  Do not swim in these places....

River mouths, channels, deep drops, far offshore, and areas between sand bars as these areas tend to attract sharks.

6.  Think like a shark.

Basically, use common sense.  If you see a lot of fish or seals in the water, that is a tell-tell sign that sharks are nearby.  Try to understand what and how a shark would eat, and that will help you avoid being dinner.

7.  Bleeding.....

If you are bleeding in any sorta of way, including menstrating, just stay out of the water.  You may as well put a hook through you and dangle yourself off a pier because that it was you become when you enter the water bleeding......bait.

8. Swim in a group in clear water

Try to only venture out on clear days and in a group so you all can look out for each other.

9.  If you are in a shark attack zone, stay out of the water.

If you enter the water where a shark attack just happened that is your fault if you get bit.  Sharks are creatures of habit and the chances are they have not been caught from the attack.  Meaning, they were still hanging around...

10. Sharks feed at night 

So please, please refrain from swimming at dusk later.

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