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from the i-think-we're-gonna-need-a-bigger-boat dept.
The Washington Post reports that this is becoming another Summer of the Shark as there have been seven recent shark attacks in North Carolina and scientists are looking for what might be luring the usually shy sharks so close to shore and among the swimmers they usually avoid. North Carolina's seven shark attacks is an unusual number for a state that recorded 25 attacks between 2005 and 2014. Even with the recent incidents, researchers emphasize that sharks are a very low-level threat to humans, compared with other forms of wildlife. Bees, for example, are much more dangerous. And swimming itself is hazardous even without sharks around.
George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida's Florida Museum of Natural History, speculates that several environmental factors could be pushing sharks to congregate in the Outer Banks. It is a warm year, and the water has a higher level of salinity because of a low-level drought in the area. Also, a common species of forage fish — menhaden — has been abundant this year and might have attracted more sharks to the area. Burgess also says some fishermen put bait in the water near piers, which could lure the predators closer to shore; two of the encounters took place within 100 yards of a pier. "That's a formula for shark attacks," Burgess says of these conditions, taken together. "Now, does that explain seven attacks in three weeks? No, it doesn't."
Burgess says not to swim near seals, where fishing is occurring, or near other things that sharks find tasty. Sharks can sniff out blood, so don't swim with open wounds. And leave your bling on the beach -- sharks are curious about bright, shiny objects, so don't lure them with baubles. Also avoid swimming at dawn and dusk, when sharks tend to feed. Stick together in groups and stay out of the water during and after storms. Aside from dangerous surf and rip currents, decreased water visibility can confuse sharks, prompting mistaken-identity bites. "Always remember," concludes Burgess. "They have bigger teeth, but we have bigger brains."
Original Submission
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Sunday July 05 2015, @11:40AM
at least we can take comfort in the fact that sharks are usually shy.
Some shark species are quite friendly; I once swam with the nurse sharks in Belize, they enjoy being scratched under their chins.
One day in capitola I started shouting "SHARK SHARK SHARK" at the surfers, overcome with horror that the surfers weren't even paying attention. Eventually one paddled over and said those particular sharks were friendly to people.
However, there are occasional great white attacks there. Back in the day a computer programmer made headlines by punching one in the nose. While he was injured he was able to paddle his board back to shore and survived.
Monterey Bay was formed mostly by the Pajaro River just south of Watsonville on the eastern shore. If you look at an undersea topographical map, you can see that the central part of the bay gets quite deep, and quite suddenly so.
From time to time a great white will be cruising around, minding his own business when all of a sudden he bumps into the seafloor so he ascends a little bit, not being to bright this pattern rinses and repeats then suddenly he finds tasty swimmers at the beach in montery.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]