Shark Attack 2014: Scientists Tracking Great White Sharks, Experts Give Advice On Surviving Attacks
Experiencing a shark attack can be a harrowing experience, especially if a great white shark is involved. But now scientists have been working on tracking systems that allow officials to give early warnings if some of the most dangerous predators are lurking near the beach.
In a related report by The Inquisitr, the top 10 shark attack videos are like something out of a horror movie. But if you think those videos are crazy then you will want to check out the video about a great white shark that was swallowed and dragged down to the depths of the sea. Although the actual identity of this super predator remains a mystery it is possible the attacker was a colossal cannibal great white shark or perhaps even the Bible’s Leviathan.
So far 2014 has been littered with stories about shark attacks. For example, a shark attack in Galveston, Texas left a teen with back and shoulder bite wounds. Another teenager in Delaware suffered from a shark attack where one of the smaller creatures managed to get a hold of his arm. There was also a story of a cliff jumper in Australia running into a great white shark. Although this shark attack was supposedly caught on video it’s now claimed the whole thing was a hoax.
Still, not all the news has been bad. For example, there is the video of a bunch of bikini models swimming with killer sharks, and no one was hurt even though it sounds like a set up for a bad horror movie. There is also the video of the shark that acts like a dog when it is petted.
But those types of things tend to be atypical. In order to prevent further shark attack victims, scientists have been tagging larger sharks in order to keep track of them in the ocean. For example, researchers in Australia recently tagged the largest great white shark and nicknamed it Joan of Shark. When the Orange Beach sharks moved closer to Alabama officials were able to close the swimming areas in advance.
The best example is a 2,300 pound Great White Shark nicknamed Katherine who even has her own Twitter handle. Katherine the shark was tagged last year in Cape Cod, Massachusetts and has traveled the length of the eastern seaboard, around Florida, and into the Gulf of Mexico and is now trending towards the gulf shores of Texas. Here’s an example tweet:
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? #sharkworld #lol pic.twitter.com/UhKUtiOLRx
— Katharine The Shark (@Shark_Katharine) June 21, 2014
Unfortunately, the shark tracking system tends to be limited to prevent a shark attack from larger species like the great white shark. So experts have given a list of items to do to avoid suffering a shark attack in 2014:
- Do not swim with an open wound. Sharks can sense one drop of blood in 10,000 drops of water.
- Due to this issue, try not to swim close to beach fishermen who may use bait that will attract sharks..
- Do not swim near bay or estuaries or any other opening to the beach, which is where a river meet the ocean. Sharks like to hang out in those areas.
- Shuffle your feet in the sand to kick up dirt and scare sharks away.
- Avoid murky waters if possible. Anytime visibility is not good, it’s also harder for sharks to see. That increases the chance of them biting someone they see splashing around.
- Avoid swimming with schools of fish since a shark attack may happen if the predator accidentally mixes you up with a smaller fish. The good news is that sharks typically do a quick bite and release because of the mistaken identity.
