DESTIN SHARK ATTACKS

I admit that I am a shark junkie. The addiction began in the midst of my childhood, when I frequented the Pacific. My brother and my dad taught me to surf (when I was still a lanky weed and didn't have any hips) and they had problems with me in the water... I won't get out. Even now, when I go to the beach, I am internally resentful when someone makes me get out of the water.

Anyway, on one of my surfing expeditions at Pacifica (near San Francisco) I am pretty positive I spotted a Great White. It was close to dusk, and as we were paddling we saw an inignormous fin pass by, above the waterline, about 20 feet away. We freaked and paddled back to shore, anxiously glancing around us, below us...

The recent Destin shark attacks have left me a bit breathless. Destin is among my favorite beaches on the Eastern seaboard. The water is gorgeous, the beach is pristine, and you can wade out for a good while before you get to any depth. ( I am not big on going past about an 8 foot depth.) The visibility is usually perfect. Even better, I know from my visits to the Florida Museum of Natural History website, dedicated to the "Worldwide Shark Attack File", that Gulf Shore shark attacks are extremely rare.

See the shark attack map located at
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/GAttack/mapFL.htm
and find out why you don't go in the water anywhere from Jacksonville to Miami.

Of course, I have always had my opinion dismissed. Zee lived in Florida for a good part of his teenage years, and he says that fishing expeditions, both on boat and off pier, cured him of wanting to enter the water. He claims that on busy swimming days in summer, you can see the dark shadows waiting just beyond the breakers.

I also had the pleasure of briefly messing around with a Destin native in the mid '90s. (Let me tell you - some of those Florida natives are amazingly beautiful. Dumb as a brick, but he was a completely perfect accessory for any outfit). He had worked fishing boats in the Gulf during summers, and he swore he knew better than to go in the water.

I thought that it was my personal duty, as a rabid shark geek, to impart some scientific information compiled about shark attacks. Read some of the statistics on this site. I promise they will blow your mind.

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/Statistics/statistics.htm

For those of you who are too lazy to follow my links, here is a good list.

AVOID SHARK ATTACKS

( From http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/education/questions/Attack.html#avoid)

Although the relative risk of a shark attack is very small, risks should always be minimized whenever possible in any activity. The chances of having an interaction with a shark can be reduced if one heeds the following advice:
1. Always stay in groups since sharks are more likely to attack a solitary individual.
2. Do not wander too far from shore --- this isolates an individual and additionally places one far away from assistance.
3. Avoid being in the water during darkness or twilight hours when sharks are most active and have a competitive sensory advantage.
4. Do not enter the water if bleeding from an open wound or if menstruating --- a shark's olfactory ability is acute.
5. Wearing shiny jewelry is discouraged because the reflected light resembles the sheen of fish scales.
6. Avoid waters with known effluents or sewage and those being used by sport or commercial fisherman, especially if there are signs of bait fishes or feeding activity. Diving seabirds are good indicators of such action.
7. Sightings of porpoises do not indicate the absence of sharks --- both often eat the same food items.
8. Use extra caution when waters are murky and avoid uneven tanning and bright colored clothing --- sharks see contrast particularly well.
9. Refrain from excess splashing and do not allow pets in the water because of their erratic movements.
10. Exercise caution when occupying the area between sandbars or near steep dropoffs --- these are favorite hangouts for sharks.
11. Do not enter the water if sharks are known to be present and evacuate the water if sharks are seen while there. And, of course, do not harass a shark if you see one!