Sharks in the water: What’s lurking near you in Myrtle Beach and is it a real threat?
News flash: There are sharks in the ocean.
Such a notion seems obvious, but it’s not something many think too much about until they have an encounter.
As was the case for a family visiting North Myrtle Beach from upstate New York recently, shark sightings in shallow water of the Atlantic Ocean happen time to time in the Myrtle Beach area.
However, the shock factor is generally a bigger impact than the actual threat of an attack, according to Coastal Carolina University Marine Biology professor Daniel Abel, who specializes in sharks.
“You’re in far more danger driving to the beach than when you get on the beach,” he said Wednesday. “We risk things every day and we humans have a very poor track record of prioritizing our risks.”
What’s lurking around us in the ocean?
If you have a shark sighting along the Grand Strand, it’s unlikely to be similar to scenes from the famous movie “Jaws.”
More likely, Abel says, the fins you see will be from smaller sharks that aren’t exactly interested in human flesh.
“If you’re on the beach probably the one you’re going to see — if you’re not fishing for them and you’re just swimming — the ones that you see chasing through the schools of bait fish are likely blacktip sharks,” Abel said. “My wife and I were walking on Pawleys [Island] beach about two weeks ago and saw some small ones in a foot of water eating some of the finger mullet that were there.”
He said sandbar and Atlantic sharpnose sharks are other species that are most likely to be seen in shallow water around here.
Blacktips and sandbar sharks can get as big as 6 or 7 feet, while Atlantic sharpnoses typically are only a few feet long.
“They are occasionally blamed for biting people, but more so blacktips than sandbars. The sandbars, they’re a very placid species. They’re big, beautiful sharks. They look like they would be fearsome, but they don’t like people too much so they stay away from us,” Abel said. “Blacktips think they’re eating fish that are swimming in the water when they bite down on a person’s foot or their hand and they [sense distaste] and they spit us out.”
While seeing a great white reminiscent of the one in Jaws is very unlikely, Abel said there are some cases where larger sharks may be found lurking in shallow water.
“Occasionally you get some other bigger sharks that come to shore,” he said. “We do have bull sharks and lemon sharks, spinner sharks and blacknose sharks.”
Still, he advises, most sharks are not interested in hunting humans despite the fact bites occasionally take place.
“They do happen. People get bitten by sharks and people get killed by sharks,” Abel said. “But lightning is more scary to me than sharks are. I’m no more afraid of sharks than I am birds. You want to be respectful that accidentally something might happen and occasionally it’s not an accident. We’re not on the menu or diet of any of the local sharks, but occasionally one will bite and consume parts of a person.”
What to do if you see a shark near you in the ocean?
The mere idea of spotting a fin nearby in the ocean can lead to panic. Often times, someone yells “shark!” and people come running out of the ocean.
According to Abel, staying calm is a better approach when a sighting happens.
“My students and I, when we see them we swim towards them. But the prudent thing is always to slowly leave the water just because you don’t know what kind of shark it is,” he said. “If surfers [panicked], there would be no one surfing. They see sharks all the time and they know that they’re harmless and they’re not going to hurt them.”
However, Abel said being aware of your surroundings is always a key to safely enjoying the ocean. There are many predators in the water, including sharks, so if you see prey — such as schools of smaller fish — around you it’s reasonable to believe something could be following them.
“I wouldn’t swim right in it. If it comes near you, I would slowly leave the water,” Abel said. “The few people that get bitten end up with a good story and a relatively minor wound. But that’s not to underplay that these interactions do happen and to act wisely. Use common sense.”
Other ocean aspects pose a bigger threat than sharks
Though the possibility of a shark bite is the most common fear of many who go into the ocean, other threats loom larger, Abel said.
“The things you have to be aware of when you’re swimming in the water are not sharks,” he said. “The fact that you might be hit in the head by a jet ski or a surf board. Or the bacteria that occasionally gets in our water might infect you. Or the stings from the jellies. Or maybe a rip current.”
Abel said learning about rip currents is one of the biggest tips he could give anyone fairly unfamiliar with the ocean. Still, there are other tips to take into consideration when enjoying our coast.
“Keep away when people are trying to attract sharks to hooks. When people are fishing they are trying to induce feeding behavior in animals including sharks. So stay away from those types of situations,” Abel said. “And if you see fins in the water then stay out of the water.
“But other than that I would make sure I know what a rip current is. That’s far more dangerous locally than sharks are. And I would warn you about too many people around with surfboards and jet skis. And worry about making sure you wear plenty of sun block. That’s dangerous too.”
Abel encourages people to be aware of sharks but not to consider them an enemy.
“If the ocean is going to be healthy it’s got to have sharks in it,” Abel said. “You should be comforted that they are there, and they should be there, and other mixes of marine organisms that make the ocean some place you should want to visit. Take the time to learn.”
This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 11:00 AM.
