Outer Banks Vacation and Sharks

You've got a higher chance of getting killed on the highway.
If you're wigged out then stay out of the water!
If you're not wigged out then swim in the water
Why would you cancel the trip?
Swim in the pool!

Bull sharks are ALWAYS feeding in the shallow waters on the east coast.
Dawn & Dusk are the riskiest times to swim.
Don't swim near piers.
If you see large schools of fish? Exit/stay out.
Don't swim if you're bleeding.
No shiny suits/jewelry
Diving seabirds indicate sewage which indicates sharks
Swim in a group

There was another attack (17 year old boy) this afternoon. That is 5 in the last two weeks. I am not normally too concerned about sharks but it sounds like there is a problem and I don't think I would be in the water right now. Some of the attacks have been in waist deep water so staying close to the shore will not be helpful. Neither will swimming at guarded beaches (which is just smart anyway). The kid today was swimming with other people. Two kids lost arms 90 minutes apart a couple of weeks ago. Makes you wonder if they have one bad shark.

I'm at the Jersey shore now enjoying the pool! No ocean for me.😎

it's a pickle. other than the same terror everyone felt after 'jaws' (those of us old enough, anyway), i've been flopping around in the ocean my whole life, and under most circumstances i'd be pooh-poohing the doomsayers who say to stay out of the water. there are ALWAYS sharks nearby (they're like spiders, always around, but usually avoid us like the plague we are) and 99.9% of them aren't assholes.
but there have been so many attacks this summer!
i suspect it's *our* fault (we're always doing something to tweak the 'nads of other species, aren't we?) but that doesn't help the sharks, or the people they're nomming on.
i'm right there with you in your desire to be smart, and not hysterical. but it might be a good year to only go to beaches with spotters.
:/ khairete
S.

I wouldn't go in the ocean right now on the east coast for anything and I frequent OBX and Myrtle Beach. Well, I visit at least one of them per year. I do VA Beach normally a couple of times per summer too. I just don't think it's worth it.

My friends just got back from OBX and said it was fine, but they didn't share any swimming pictures. It's just not worth the risk. But that's my cautious self. Obviously others aren't being as cautious.

Added: For what it's worth, there is a LOT more to do than the beach there. Visit Cape Hattaras, Jockey's Ridge, do a W.H.A.T. (wild horse adventure tour), check out the concerts in Duck, Kitty Hawk and the Wright Brothers museum, and I could go on. There is also a really fun laser tag place there that my kids keep begging for me to take back to.

A long time ago, a friend who is a Florida native told me to watch for pelicans and gulls over the water. Not the ones hanging out on the beach or flying in a straight line, but the ones who keep flying around over one area, or around the same area. My friend said they're grabbing the shark's leftovers. Not sure how true that is, but I've always paid attention since then.

I'm curious to see what others say.

I find this whole thing fascinating as shark risk where I live is only for the surfers and real ocean swimmers. Great whites don't come into waist high water like the east coast varieties.

Check the link below for a brochure on the topic-

http://www.scribd.com/doc/269752662/Shark-Sense

ADDED: Christy Lee's comment reminded me of something. On the Pacific coast you know there are schools of fish in the water according to where the birds are. We look for whales and dolphins that way. Watch the birds gather and dive and your likely to see the bigger predators too.

ADDED 2: Letty, thanks for the link. I know that beach well and after a lifetime of living here have never heard of that many great whites so close to shore. I agree it is a testament to how unlikely they are to attack humans but still a little creepy!

I lived in Rio de Janeiro when Jaws came out!! They had some idiots swimming around with a fin on their back. Almost got their dumbass selves killed! But that always stuck with me.

I'm a pool gal! However, when we were at Hilton Head a few years ago, I got in the water and showed the kids a thing or two. Yes, they were impressed that ole mom knew how to body surf and all that.

I would stay away from people who are fishing and the chum. I do not swim near piers as well. That's just my two cents. I always heard if you see dolphins you are okay because dolphins scar sharks. I don't know about that but I always felt better when flipper was nearby.

I live in VA Beach. Don't cancel your trip. And you don't need to only stay on the sand.

There have been several articles recently released giving good advice for swimmers and visitors. For example, swim in groups, away from fishermen and piers. Stay near lifeguards. Do not enter the water if bleeding. Check in with the OBX Visitor's Bureau as I'm sure they will have fantastic, reliable information available.

Be diligent, do a little homework and enjoy your trip!

Some of these shark attacks have happened in 3 feet of water and were a mile away from any pier.
There's been a lot of shark sightings up and down the coast this year.
A kayaking dolphin sighting tour company (in Virginia Beach) canceled tours for a short while when a 9 ft bull shark was seen swimming not far behind a pod of dolphins.

There are plenty of things to do in the outer banks on land - so you don't have to cancel.
Some swimming might be alright but I'd be happier if I had a pool that I could use.

Additional:

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/06/shark-attacks-have-been-r...

You might not want to rely on spotting dolphins to make you safe. Birds and dolphins both can be indicators of risk because they are after the baitfish. Same as the sharks that ply those waters in close (tiger, bull, etc). Also, avoid wearing shiny sparkly things (rings, jewelry, or accents on your swimwear) because they look like fish reflecting light underwater to predators.

Same idea with sharply contrasting colors on a swimsuit. If the water is murky then predators can't see as well what they are attacking. In the surf you might be bitten by complete mistake b/c you aren't seen clearly.

And yes, avoid anywhere where fishing or chum is in the water, and piers (fishing often occurs off of piers, and crabbing, plus the currents can be different around piers, too).

It really isn't rocket science, just google what NOT to do. But it isn't any guarantee, either. You're in their environment in the water. Period. Stay in under 2 feet of water or on the sand if you want to be sure. If you are willing to take on calculated risks, follow the above and don't splash around like a school of fish...

Ditto Mom2KCK. (Can't believe I'm saying don't go in the water.) If you feel that you can't get this age set to comply, I'd cancel the vacation.

I live on the west coast. Just this last week a junior guard competition ended early because 15 great white sharks were seen in the water. My son was one of the junior guards there. My advice to you is that you only swim/play in the water where there are trained life guards. See if there are beaches that are being monitored with drones or helicopters...that is a safe bet. Steer clear of chummed waters...that is excellent advice.

I know that the sharks are always there and my kids still swim (distance ocean swims). It is a risk, but I would hate to see them now do something that is so healthy for them and that they love. I trust the judgment of the life guards. The biologist that spotted these sharks made an interesting point: 15 sharks were in the water with 400 kids (until they ended the competition) and no one was hurt. I am honestly surprised by what had been happening on the east coast and I can understand why you are concerned. It seems like an anomaly.

http://www.ksbw.com/news/swimmers-return-to-water-after-1...

Don't swim near the piers where there's chum in the water. That's all I've got. I'm a bit of a scaredy cat so I'd probably stick to the sand and surf, haha. But there's plenty to do there other than the beach too.

Don't swim anywhere near a fishing pier.

I would consider different beaches, like Canadian Hole. Fewer waves, but still water. If your kid can't understand that you won't be doing x or y because of sharks, then they shouldn't come. Especially the cousin. It would be one thing for my own kid to disobey me, but I wouldn't risk someone else's child. I've also wondered if they have a bad shark or two and if it would stop if that shark was caught.

There are other things to do in the Outer Banks, like visiting Kitty Hawk. I'd spend some time there vs in the water.