Surf's up in Florida!
Moderator: Dictators in Training
Surf's up in Florida!
“The more I study science the more I believe in God.” -- Albert Einstein
And it kills all sorts of other sea life, like dolphins, sea turtles, birds, fish, non-harmful sharks, rays, etc. Plus it prevents other species from getting to feeding or spawning areas, and has a completely disrupting effect on the local ecology. They have some shark nets off beaches in places in Australia, and the protests of the environmentalists are growing steadily louder over it.
-Arlos
-Arlos
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Jimmy Durante
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Dr. John McEachran, a professor of wildlife and fishery sciences at Texas A&M who has studied sharks for years, says shark attacks are rare. Although shark attacks can be life threatening, the incidence of unprovoked attacks on people is relatively rare, he believes. Though there have been three along the Texas gulf coast in recent weeks and a half dozen or so attacks along the East Coast, he believes the beach is still a safe bet.
"When you consider all of the people in the world who are in the water at any given moment, the number of shark attacks is very rare," says McEachran.
"The worldwide shark attack rate from 1940 to 1974 averaged 28 per year and in no year exceeded 56. I would be more concerned about the drive to the beach. Your chances of being in a car accident are far greater than being bitten by a shark."
McEachran says shark attacks are far less frequent causes of injury than driving, boating and diving accidents.
He says that when most attacks occur, they are accidental. "Humans are not a shark's preferred food choice. Most shark bites are sort of an exploratory action by the shark - it may bite, but it usually doesn't bite down completely the way it does with its other prey," he explains.
Though Texas has had several attacks, Florida leads all states in the number of reported shark attacks. It has the warm, tropical waters sharks prefer and a huge coastline, McEachran says.
'We know that sharks have an acute sense of hearing and smell," he adds.
"They don't regard the human shape as a prey item. Sometimes you hear reports of surfers having their boards hit by a shark. It's probably because the board resembles the shape of a seal, which is a prime food source for sharks."
McEachran said when shark attacks do occur, they happen in 3 to 4 feet of water, but "that can mean you're a long way off the beach, sometimes several hundred feet. And also, most attacks occur in water that is murky and not very clear.
"A greater percentage of beachgoers are injured by stingrays or hardhead and gafftop catfishes, which can have poisonous spines. They are more likely to cause harm than a shark," McEachran believes.
McEachran says common sense can go a long way in avoiding contact with sharks.
"Sharks generally don't like to be around people," he adds.
"Shark attacks are like airplane crashes. The majority of airplane trips are safe, but when a crash occurs, it gets big headlines.
"Most people are safe at the beach, but when someone does get bitten by a shark, it gets a lot of attention. To put your mind more at ease, go to a beach that has lifeguards. They should be looking for possible sharks. If you use some good common sense in the water, you should be fine."
In other Jaws related news, Disney has scrapped plans to include shark fin soup from it's upcoming theme park in Hong Kong. I find the practice of "finning" nothing short of barbarous (but I could be wrong).