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Stay out of the water at night and during dawn and dusk. Sharks hunt most actively at these times, and they're harder for you to see in dark conditions.
If you're bleeding, including menstruating, stay on the beach. Sharks can smell and taste even the smallest amount of blood from over a mile (1.6 kilometers) away and trace it back to its source.
Cover open wounds.
• Stay out of the water if fish blood or baitfish are present. In other words, steer clear of fishers.
• If you're bleeding, including menstruating, stay on the beach. Sharks can smell and taste even the smallest amount of blood from over a mile (1.6 kilometers) away and trace it back to its source.
• Stay away if you see large groups of dolphins and seabirds. They are attracted to the same food sharks eat. And don't make the mistake of thinking that if dolphins are present, there won't be any sharks around. Dolphins can be prey for large sharks.
Avoid steep dropoffs and the areas between sandbars. These are among sharks' favorite haunts.
Dress appropriately. Stick to dull swimwear and wetsuits, as bright or flashy colors with high contrast can attract sharks. Avoid wearing jewelry, as the reflection of light off such accessories is similar to the reflection of light off a fish's scales, and it can thus make you look like food.
The bright yellows and oranges typical of life jackets and flotation devices can be attractive to sharks, but if you're in the open ocean you need to consider that these colors also make you more visible to rescuers.
Cover your diving watch with the cuff of your wetsuit. Similarly, avoid or cover uneven tanning, as the contrast makes you more visible to shark.
Swim in a group. Regardless of the danger of sharks, you should avoid swimming alone.
Sharks are less likely to approach and attack a group of people, and if one member of the group is attacked, help is immediately available. When diving in the presence of sharks, one member of the group should be charged solely with watching the sharks and detecting changes in their behavior.
If sharks are present, however, it's even more important to travel with a buddy or a group.
Six of us were down to Topsail last week (1st week of August) and we spent a lot of time on the beach and in the water. Not a single shark siting by anyone - not even a jellyfish the whole time! The water was great and the whole group had a good time. I was a little suprised though, as someone else had noted, there were people fishing among the swimmers in the middle of the day. Maybe a shark won't get you, but I wouldn't be surprised if a fish hook did.
My buddy told me about that. Wrightsville was nasty on Saturday. I haven't seen surf like that in a while. And I agree that the actual ocean is more dangerous than anything swimming in it
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