Jax Beach Shark Attacks!!! Blood everywhere! (Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach: 2013, safe, metro)

[madcapmagishion]

Originally Posted by jdweaze

LOL great!!!!!!!!!!! After I was even told the sharks aren't that big of a deal... awesome :-)

They aren't unless you have an irrational fear of sharks. You have better odds of getting struck by lightening.
odds of being struck by lightening: 576,000 to 1
odds of being attacked by a shark: 11.5 million to 1
About the only worse odds are of you or me winning the Power Ball.
odds of winning the Powe Ball jackpot: 175,223,510.00 to 1

[jdweaze]

Originally Posted by madcapmagishion

They aren't unless you have an irrational fear of sharks. You have better odd's of getting struck by lightening.
odds of being struck by lightening: 576,000 to 1
odds of being attacked by a shark: 11.5 million to 1
About the only worse odds are of you or me winning the Power Ball.
odds of winning the Powe Ball jackpot: 175,223,510.00 to 1

Ok that's helpful haha I do have an irrational fear of sharks... Not sure why. I didn't use to when I was younger. Maybe it's a general fear of things I can't see that could possibly attack me? OR maybe it's just that I have watched way too many nature programs :-)

[pinetreecity]

Originally Posted by jdweaze

Ok that's helpful haha I do have an irrational fear of sharks... Not sure why. I didn't use to when I was younger. Maybe it's a general fear of things I can't see that could possibly attack me? OR maybe it's just that I have watched way too many nature programs :-)

LOL, I have a fear of anything I can't see that might bite me. When I was very little I was pinched by a crab on my toe. Ever since, I jump whenever I step on anything that is not sand. Sometimes I just wear my sandals into the water, when I do go in, which is not often these days. Usually I'm content to just walk along the beach or stand and watch the waves.

[FlyiMetro]

Ive never ever heard of Shark Attacks at Jax Beach...that has to be a scary experience.

[madcapmagishion]

Originally Posted by FlyiMetro

Ive never ever heard of Shark Attacks at Jax Beach...that has to be a scary experience.

According to the International Shark Attack File, since record-keeping began in the 1880's, Duval County has had a total of 20 shark attacks. That's 1 bite every 6.6 years.

[GadgetRick]

Originally Posted by bativac

i can confirm that i was at the beach yesterday, in the water, and neither my wife nor myself (nor several of the small children and dogs in the water) were victims of a shark attack. We did, however, find a couple dead crabs.

lmao!!!

[GadgetRick]

Originally Posted by madcapmagishion

According to the International Shark Attack File, since record-keeping began in the 1880's, Duval County has had a total of 20 shark attacks. That's 1 bite every 6.6 years.

So, after the other day, we're good for another 6.6 years.

But seriously people, there ARE sharks in the ocean...yeah, I know it's hard to believe until there is an attack. However, sharks--for the most part--don't care much about us humans. We don't taste like chicken to them or, if we do, they don't like chicken. I know, not much help if you're one of the rare victims of an attack.

Sharks tend to attack surfers because they look suspiciously like a seal--one of their favorite foods) from below when the surfer is paddling on their board. I don't know what the ratio of surfers to swimmers who are attacked but I'm guessing it's quite low--not that attacks on swimmers don't happen of course.

I used to do a lot of diving before an accident. I've done NUMEROUS dives with sharks--not just shark dives (where the sharks are accustomed to having people around) but sharks in the wild. Sharks are fairly inquisitive but very skittish (well, great whites and tiger sharks are fairly aggressive but other sharks are skittish).

We go in the water all of the time and we let our kids play in the water all of the time. It would be horrible if one of us--or anyone for that matter--were to get attacked but I don't even think about it.

Some tips would be to NOT swim near fishing piers. Surfers like surfing by the piers because the pier causes the wave action to create a better bottom for surfing waves. Unfortunately, fishing piers have lots of good-smelling stuff in the water from all of the people fishing. This can attract more sharks near fishing piers and would increase the chance of being attacked.

Don't go into the water during dusk or dawn. Sharks tend to have poor eyesight and are more likely to make a mistake when lighting isn't good for them. Also, they tend to feed during these times (and at night) so they're more active and looking for food during these times.

Just some tips to lower the chances of a shark attack.

[abvavgjoe]

Originally Posted by madcapmagishion

Saw on the news that this was the 1st attack in Jacksonville, but the 11th attack in Florida this year. Looks like it's going to be a busy season, for all the beaches hospitals emergency rooms.

11 attacks in FL in May sounds really high. However, if you consider the vast numbers of swimmers, surfers, waders, divers, etc., etc. that enter the water every day,....it's a tiny number. For more comprehensive data:

FLMNH Ichthyology Department: Stats, Trends, Analysis of Shark Attacks

[madcapmagishion]

Back in 1975 while I was away at college, an old fishing buddy of my uncle Jack, Blackie Reasor caught a world record Hammerhead shark off of the old Jax Beach Pier.
Here's a photo of Blackie Reasor with his 1975 world record Hammerhead shark 14 feet 4 inches long -703 lbs it beat the old world record in 1975 by almost 300 lbs.

This record stood until 2006 when a female great Hammerhead was caught at Boco Grande Pass, FL. and measured at
14 feet 6 inches long and 1,262 pounds, with its hammer measuring more than 3 feet across. She was possibly pregnant.

[jdweaze]

Omg that is crazy huge...