Happy Shark Week! Here’s just how common Myrtle Beach shark attacks really are
Queue the Jaws music because it’s Shark Week!
Don’t worry. Shark Week is not when hoards of sharks embark on our shores, rather, Shark Week is all on TV. The Discovery Channel has been putting on Shark Week for 30 years now, according to the National Public Radio. All week long, there will be tons of shows and documentaries that cover all things sharks, but be aware, it can get pretty gory.
While Shark Week may highlight shark attacks, making them seem more common than they actually are, know that the likelihood of getting attacked by one is not very great.
Tracking Sharks says there have been two shark attacks in South Carolina in 2022, one on Kiawah Island and one right here in Myrtle Beach.
The Myrtle Beach attack happened on June 21, 2022 on a private family campground, according to Tracking Sharks. The website also noted that the victim was a male teenager and that his wound was not too severe.
A Myrtle Beach website says that as of 2019, “there have been only about 50 shark attacks total recorded over the past century on local beaches and not a single fatal attack since 1852. With more than 15 million visitors to the area each year, this means the odds of being bit by a shark in Myrtle Beach this year are roughly 1 in 4,000,000 — about five times less likely than your odds of being struck by lightening while standing on the beach.”
While the odds are slim for getting bitten by a shark in our waters, being nervous of the possibility is totally understandable.
Some tips for avoiding potential bites include avoiding the water amid storms or darkness, not swimming near piers where fishermen dump bait, and not wearing jewelry as sharks may mistake it for a reflective fish, the Myrtle Beach website said.
This story was originally published July 28, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
