If you are bitten by a shark in SC waters, follow these expert tips to survive

If you’ve gone swimming off the coast of South Carolina, you’ve probably swam with sharks.

Sharks are “very common” in South Carolina and regularly swim through areas with humans, often unseen, according to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources lead shark biologist Bryan Frazier.

Shark bites, however, are exceedingly rare.

“South Carolina averages about four bites a year and we haven’t had a fatality since the 1840s, so it’s a very rare occurrence given how many people are in the water on any given day,” Frazier said.

The odds of being attacked unprovoked by a shark in the United States are just one in 11.5 million, according to The International Shark Attack File (ISAF), the only comprehensive, scientifically documented database of known shark attacks in the world.

“For context, you’ve got a 200 times higher chance of drowning in the ocean than being bitten by a shark,” said ISAF Program Director Gavin Naylor.

Although attacks are rare — and there are ways to lower your chances of an attack — sharks do occasionally bite.

Here’s what you should know if a shark bites you

If you see a shark approaching, head for land

A shark fin in the water is an alarming sight, but it’s best to try to remain calm. Start moving slowly towards land. It may be tempting to turn and dash to the shore, but it’s important to keep an eye on the shark–even if that means moving backwards.

If a shark bites-and-runs

South Carolina has its share of larger, more dangerous sharks like bull sharks and tiger sharks, most shark bites in the Palmetto State are relatively minor encounters resulting from less aggressive sharks that mistake people for prey fish.

“In South Carolina, we tend to have a lot of what we consider bite-and-run-type bites, where it’s a smaller shark, like a black tip,” said Frazier. “They’re feeding actively, they grab ahold of something, they realize it’s not what they’re after and they take off.”

If the shark releases its bite immediately, start making your way to safety.

If a shark tries to bite you, or it won’t release its bite, go for the head

Sharks have sensitive noses, eyes and gills. If one tries to bite you, hitting or kicking these areas is a good deterrent.

“Wallop them really squarely on the nose,” Naylor recommends. “They’ve got very sensitive noses with lots of detectors in there, and it’s probably going to be disconcerting and frightening, and they will go away.”

In the case of bite-and-run cases, sharks quickly realize their mistake, release the bite and dart away. But if an irritated, territorial or especially hungry shark doesn’t release, fight it off by attacking those sensitive areas.

Once you’re out of the water, seek medical attention

The most immediate, critical danger after a shark bite is blood loss. Applying direct pressure slows bleeding, but depending on the size and severity of the wound, it may require a tourniquet.

Seeking professional medical help is crucial to evaluate the severity of the wound, stop the bleeding and prevent infection.

When do sharks bite?

South Carolina typically sees more shark bites in July and August, according to Frazier. However, that likely has less to do with shark behavior and more with simple population increases. As more people hit the beach, more shark encounters occur.

“I think it largely has to do with the most people are in the water in those time periods,” Frazier said. “Right now, there’s a lot of sharks migrating through South Carolina, so we may have more sharks here now than we will in July and August. However, there’s not nearly as many people in the water.”

Where do sharks frequent?

Sharks are common throughout South Carolina’s salt and brackish waters, but certain areas are more popular.

Sharks tend to congregate in brackish areas like estuaries and rivers — and the species that do are often larger and more dangerous, according to Frazier and Naylor.

However most shark bites occur in the surf. That’s because sharks are more likely to make a mistake in the churning water.

“We find that 60% of all shark bites, out of the several thousand that we have data for, are in low visibility water,” Naylor said. “If you’re in low visibility water, most of these bites by sharks on people are accidents. They see something, or they sense something, and they come and sample it and taste it, and that’s because they can’t see very well. But if their visibility is good, then they’ll see that you’re not a fish, and they’ll leave you alone.

For more information on avoiding shark bites at the beach this summer, check out these South Carolina expert tips.

This story was originally published May 21, 2025 at 6:00 AM.