THE SHORE'S SH RKS
You Are Safer Than You Realize
54 OCTOBER 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
SUBMITTED BY MIKE HUDSON AND ROBERT HEYER
Just mention shark at any beach and you instantly have everyone’s
attention. People have a curious fascination and almost unreasonable
fear of sharks. Most beachgoers know at least some version of
the story of the 1916 shark attacks. Many will say it was here that Peter
Benchley became inspired here to write his 1974 book “Jaws.” Many are
not sure just where or what year the fatal attacks occurred; they even
adamantly say that shark attacks in New Jersey happen “all the time.” The
bottom line is that most beachgoers will admit to having at least a little
Let’s start with some facts and then look at the ways local lifeguards
in Sea Bright use shark science to predict behavior to protect the public
when sharks are spotted along the beach.
The NJSAF allows fact-based conclusions on the danger of sharks
by utilizing years of shark attack investigations. Here are just a few conclusions
derived from historical accounts of attacks based on information
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goers and biologists who have directly been witness to predatory shark
behavior.
1. First and foremost, the chances of shark attack are extremely rare.
Millions of people enter the waters of New York and New Jersey
every year without incident. The chances of having a negative encounter
with a shark are so small they are nearly unmeasurable.
2. A few more than 100 recorded incidents have been investigated for
the waters of New York and New Jersey. That’s 100 incidents since
the late 1900s in all the hundreds of thousands of people who
have entered the Atlantic every summer. The probability of encountering
a shark is ultra-minuscule, and there’s even less probability
of being attacked.
3. The majority of New Jersey’s recorded shark incidents were the result
of human actions which directly or indirectly triggered natural
responses from various shark species. Case in point is New Jersey’s
that had been trapped in the shallow water as the tide went out. One
of the boys began to hit it with an oar and the shark lunged at the
attackers to defend itself. The boy fell as he turned to run and was
grabbed by the shark, resulting in a horribly mutilated leg. The other
boys killed the shark.
So what kind of sharks inhabit the waters of New York and New Jersey?
Our waters are home to several species. The vast majority are the non
harmless to humans. These mostly harmless species found around New
cow nose stingray and common Little Skate.
Sharks that are considered potentially dangerous must be big
enough and possess the right type of teeth to cause harm. Some of
the dangerous sharks that patrol the mid-Atlantic region, from least
probable of encounter to most probable are Tiger Sharks, Hammerhead
Sharks, Great White Sharks, Bull Sharks, as well as the most prominent
and likely suspect to attack when provoked, the Sand Tiger Shark. All
have a reputation for being potentially dangerous
to humans.
Sharks are an important part of our ecosystem.
They are in far more in danger of extinction
from our activities than we are of theirs. As
apex predators, sharks keep their prey species
but reports of interaction are mostly nil. As our
water quality continues to improve, we can expect
to see more sharks, which is actually good
news for our oceans. The presence of a diverse
healthy population of prey and sharks is a great
indicator that our marine ecosystem is thriving.
Lifeguard shark sightings as well as civilian
shark sightings are up this year throughout
New York and New Jersey, but this should
not keep you out of the water, as long as you
use common sense and resist the urge to get
a closer look at anomalies in the water, like an
injured sea turtle or large bait ball.
continued on page 55
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