Sharks May Migrate to First Coast
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL — Beachgoers may soon start noticing company in the water with a lot of sharp teeth.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the sharks spotted in the New Smyrna Beach area, where there’s been three bites in three days, are migrating north to the First Coast.
A NOAA shark expert says the sharks, black tips and hammerheads, will bite, even if unprovoked.
The expert says usually bites happen when the shark mistakes you for food.
Thomas Wright, with the American Red Cross Volunteer Life Saving Corps, says there are some things you can do to avoid a bite, which are usually minor.
“Swim in front of the lifeguard, don’t go too far out, don’t wear shiny clothing or jewelry, and don’t swim too close to the pier,” said Wright.
He says the shiny clothes can look like the scales of fish.
He says there’s a lot of bait near the pier, which draw the type of fish sharks prey on.
Wright says while a shark can bite you just as easily in shallow water as in deep water, the farther out you swim, the farther help needs to travel to get to you.
IOW, not dressing like a fishing lure is probably a good thing here. Avoiding swimming near bait and where people are cleaning fish and throwing the guts back into the water is a good thing, too. Try not to accidentally step on or kick sharks. They don’t like that and don’t accept apologies, no matter how sincere. And don’t go out any further than you can swim back from with a missing limb, or that people can hear you scream for help.
