When the Shark Bites

I’m glad that the little girl attacked by the shark off of Ocracoke is going to be okay.

But one thing stuck out to me in the story.

Time of attack: 5:00 p.m.

Please pay attention. I posted this list 10 years (and for or five blog versions) ago after the last attack off the Outer Banks and Virginia Beach occurred.

Swimmers entering the ocean should keep in mind the following to reduce the possibility of shark attack:

Stay in groups – sharks are more likely to attack a solitary individual.
Avoid being in the water during darkness or twilight hours when sharks are most active and have a competitive sensory advantage. – The recent attack occurred around 5:00 p.m. (when I wrote this in 2001 both attacks had occurred around 6:00 p.m.)
Do not enter the water if bleeding from an open wound or if menstruating.
Don’t wear shiny jewelry. The shark mistakes the reflected light for the sheen of fish scales.
Don’t swim where there is a lot of fishing activity. The use of bait fish will draw the sharks.
Diving seabirds are good indications of the presence of fish.
The presence of porpoises does not mean there are no sharks.
Sandbars and areas with steep dropoffs are favorite hangouts for sharks.

While this list isn’t failsafe, statistically you’re more likely to be struck by lightning or die in a car crash than you are to be attacked by a shark.

And speaking of using common sense, this story is just sad.

Yosemite Waterfall Deaths: 3 Hikers Ignored Warnings Before the Plung
IBTimes
Tuesday at Yosemite National Park, warning signs, a barricade, and people’s urging voices were all ignored before all three hikers playing in Vernal Fall were swept over the 317-foot falls.
Read more.

It’s tragic. But rules are made for a reason. They ignored them.

We live in beautiful world. But beauty can be dangerous.

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