This fisheye view of a tiger shark makes the shark look farther away than it actually was; in reality, it was only 2 to 3 feet away from photographer Jamie Walker. He was resting on his knees in the sand, completely exposed. “You just have to watch because they are curious and will come in from all angles to check you out. They didn’t have their mouths open or anything, but one did roll his eyes back as he got close to me. A gentle push away is all that was necessary.”
Duuuu-dun … duuuu-dun … du-dun du dun du dun … those two notes repeated in an ever increasing tempo strike terror in the hearts of all who shuddered through the 1975 blockbuster film Jaws, with its insatiable, man-eating great white shark, pleas for a bigger boat, and unquestionably the worst Fourth of July celebration ever depicted in movie history.
When swimming in any large body of salt water, it’s not the “duuun-dun” that should concern you. It’s the ping.
OCEARCH, a nonprofit organ-ization dedicated to promoting ocean conservation and research, tags sharks worldwide in an effort to track their movements and gather data on these massive but misunderstood sea creatures. When a tagged shark’s dorsal fin breaches the ocean’s surface, a ping is transmitted by satellite, allowing researchers to pinpoint the exact location of that particular water-dwelling predator.
Since its foundation in 2007, OCEARCH’s research team has tagged close to 400 sharks, using a team of ocean explorers, scientists, veterinarians … and one really big boat. So far this year, several sharks have “pinged” near the South Carolina coastland, including Breton, a 1,435-pound great white male, and Mahone, another great white male, weighing in at a hefty 1,701 pounds.
While that might sound as frightening as a “duuunn-dun” soundtrack, you have no reason to head to some landlocked desert resort in lieu of your planned beach vacation. Just like those human dating-app sharks who simply toy with the affections of others while never actually following through, water dwelling sharks just aren’t that into you. Unfortunately, “jump the shark” moments in popular culture — such as a shark tornado raining down on unsuspecting city dwellers, candygram bearing land sharks, or that grizzly Fourth of July feeding frenzy — have given real life sharks a rotten reputation.
In reality, shark bites are extremely rare and only occur when a person is mistaken for food. An average of 10 people worldwide are killed by sharks per year, and the last fatal shark attack in South Carolina happened more than 170 years ago. You are more likely to be killed by a cow (20 people per year) or a Champagne cork (24 people per year) or choke to death while eating a hot dog (70 people per year) than you are to meet your demise at the jaws of a shark.
And if you are still unconvinced and decide to go the desert resort route? Keep in mind that 150 people die every year from the coconuts that fall out of those lovely desert palm trees. Sadly, “Attack of the Killer Coconuts” isn’t likely to be a blockbuster film, and so great white sharks take all the heat.
But sharks are more than just popular movie villains. These majestic creatures — far more graceful than the floundering Left Shark dancing behind Katy Perry at the 2015 Super Bowl and far less annoying than that “Baby Shark” song — have been a part of our world for more than 450 million years and have become an essential part of our ecosystem, with an unapologetic reference to Ariel’s nemesis in The Little Mermaid.
As apex predators — those who sit at the top of the food chain — sharks are carnivores that control the population of other fish. Sadly, many sharks are on the endangered species list; humans kill close to 100 million sharks per year, and their existence is further threatened by both pollution and the continual warming of our oceans. And those who believe that the complete elimination of sharks would improve the quality and safety of our beaches are completely ignoring the more imminent threat of hot dogs and falling coconuts.
Still, sharks will be sharks. Here are a few tips to avoid your one in 11.5 million chance of being mistaken for a tasty shark appetizer:
- Don’t swim when visibility is low — such as dusk or dawn — because that is when you are most likely to be mistaken for shark food.
- Don’t sparkle — any shiny or reflective accessories will garner unwanted shark attention.
- Avoid swimming near fishing boats or other possible chumming locations.
- Swim in groups, and if you are really concerned, swim only in guarded areas. You could also wear a shark-repelling magnetic anklet, like Sharkbanz. Yes, this really is a thing, and yes, it works.
- Be respectful of these mammoth marine marvels, but remember that sharks aren’t purposely trying to take a bite out of your fun.
