A Shark's Home

I don't live anywhere near North Carolina. But apparently sharks have decided it makes a great place for a summer vacation. We have sharks at the Jersey shore too. The ocean is a shark's home. It's in the water. It might be far away from the swimmers, but it's still in the water.

Even as a child I had a large fear of sharks. We go to the same place at the Jersey shore now that my family went to when my brother and I were kids. We used to spend the morning at the beach. My Mom and brother love the beach. We built sand boats and looked for seashells. But, I rarely went in the water. I was too scared. My parents got me a boogie board when I was about ten. But my brother used it more then me.

My Dad and I have always been pool people. We would get lunch after the beach. Then head back to the hotel for pool time. It's never been a mystery to me why I prefer the pool. It's safer. No animals call it home. I can see the bottom and am not likely to be grossed out when I touch the bottom.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/shark-attack-infographic-world/29381700

When researching this post I am only now learning about the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks that killed four people and injured one more. Before then, there wasn't much known about sharks. These attacks led to more research. They occurred in Beach Haven, Long Beach Island, Spring Lake, Matawan Creek and a half mile from Wyckoff Dock. The accused sharks are suspected to be Bull Sharks and Great White Sharks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Shore_shark_attacks_of_1916

New Smyrna Beach just south of Daytona, Florida is the most likely place to encounter a shark. The highest rate of dangerous shark attacks is in the Gulf of Mexico. Bull sharks are the most threatening to people. Great White sharks and Tiger sharks are the second and third most threatening species for people.

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/bull-shark/

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/great-white-shark/?source=A-to-Z

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/tiger-shark/?source=A-to-Z

Not all sharks are dangerous. I did find a list of harmless and dangerous sharks. But I don't know about the website's credibility. Here's the bottom line. A lot of people could spend the day at the beach and swim in the ocean. A lot of people find a lot of inner peace surfing. It's important to remember that many animals call the ocean their home. Assume a shark is dangerous unless you know otherwise. Respect that the ocean is wilderness. Enjoy it, but look out for sharks. Just like you would be on the lookout for a bear in the woods.

Shark attacks will never actually go away. From what I can tell, most shark attacks are minor. The number of attacks increase as the number of people in the water increase. They apparently are becoming less afraid of humans as well.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/06/30/shark-attacks-east-coast/29519371/