Sun, sand, and the surprising truth behind the recent shark attacks
Orcas bullying sharks into terrorizing beachgoers?
That’s a nope from me, Bob! Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash
It sounds like the plot of a great summer blockbuster. But that’s the rumor swirling around the recent shark attacks in the Florida Panhandle.
So maybe undertow and jellyfish won’t be the only worry for my family’s annual trek to the beach in about a month. (You know that an undertow is, right? It can be really dangerous.)
Shark Attacks
The news of recent attacks in the Florida Panhandle (30A) had me wondering if my young nephews would be safe splashing in the shallows while the teens ventured out on boogie boards.
Orcas
Social media seemed convinced that the culprits were bloodthirsty sharks driven to shore by orca bullies — if it’s on Facebook, it has to be true. Pretty sure King Zuckerburg decreed that. :)
Not that I mind orcas bullying mean sharks. But is it true in this case? Even they’re bullying of ships off the Spanish coast might just be them playing.
I love orcas. When captivity hasn’t driven them insane.
But back to sharks and the alleged orca menace. As a lawyer, it’s my job to sniff out fishy arguments (pun intended).
Turns out the orca theory is nonsense according to an actual marine biologist. Apparently, hot, dry weather is pushing bait fish and the sharks that munch them closer to shore.
More tourists are spotting orcas because more tourists are looking for them, not because orcas are flocking to the scene like a mob of underfed paparazzi. Check out the actual expert’s opinion here:
Cautious but not Afraid
Sharks are scary. Shark attacks are terrifying.
But the odds of it ruining our trip are about the same as me winning a limbo contest against my 8-year-old nephew. I wasn’t known for my flexibility even before my wife’s cooking altered my center of balance. :)
No, I suspect sharks on the shore are the more likely danger. I’ve already found one:
No matter the shark threat, I’m grateful to be getting sand between my toes and building castles with the kiddos.
And if a shark does decide to sample some legal flesh, I hope he chokes on the billable hours.
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