Crystal Coast Sharks

Yesterday Scott Taylor a photographer from Beaufort was in a helicopter on a shoot. While airborne between Fort Macon and Shackleford Banks they flew over hundreds of sharks gathering along the Crystal Coast.

Taylor estimated there to be about three to four hundred sharks hanging out in this area. We have several shark species that visit our coastal waters. While there may be large numbers of sharks, attacks are very few and far between. Sharks aren’t looking to eat people. They are fish eaters. Don’t get me wrong, if I see one while I’m in the water, I usually find my way back to the beach rather quickly.

Some of the species of sharks that can be found off the Crystal Coast are  spinner sharks, sand tiger, blacktip, blacknose, sharpnose, hammerhead, and bull sharks. In all there about twenty-six sharks species that are common to our coast.

I know some people get scared to go in the water by images like these. But in reality, I think you’re more likely to be killed in a rip current, the drive here, or the drive home than from a shark attack. So please don’t let the sharks scare you away, they are much less of a problem than one may think. WITN TV had a story similar to this on their site, and I couldn’t help but laugh at some of the comments left by their readers.

Dora wrote, “well, why does’nt someone try to catch these sharks before they come to our shoreline? If they are all together can’t someone put out a large net over em? They could all then be hauled out to sea? “

I nearly fell off the couch laughing. Where do these people come from? Dora, if we hauled them all out to sea what do we do when they return? And they’re not bothering us, why would we want to interfere with them? Not to mention who is going to pay for netting them and hauling them out to sea? Sure it could be done, but it would be a pretty dumb move wouldn’t it?

Taylor estimated the sharks at around four to six feet in length. Hardly anything like Jaws, so I’ll still be in the water this weekend.