While the single goal of spring breakers is to have fun for the whole time, too many people together out in the sun on the beach sometimes create problems that totally ruin the vibe that spring breakers bring along. As reported by The US Sun, Daytona Beach witnessed a rather chaotic situation recently as a curfew became necessary to handle the crowd.
After about two hours of the curfew, two teenagers were shot and while both of them are alive, the whole incident underlined how spring breakers often bring dangers because of the reckless way they party.
Another completely different kind of worry looms large on New Smyrna Beach, which is only 30 minutes from Daytona Beach. Known as the ‘Shark Bite Capital of the World’, this beach has recorded 300 bites since the 1880s. In 2023 itself, there were eight shark bites.
However, as revealed by Captain Stephen Canfield, a veteran lifeguard who has over 30 years of experience and handles the New Smyrna Beach, shark bites on this beach are mostly not life threatening. He also mentioned that in recent times, because of partnerships with institutions such as the University of Florida, shark monitoring techniques are getting better.
He said, “They conduct their studies through us. We now do actual DNA swabs at the patient’s allowance.” This technique was introduced only a couple of years ago and helps to identify the sharks in detail that helps in tracking particular kinds of sharks all over the world.
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Blacktip sharks, a particular type of shark, are found in Volusia County. Captain Stephen Canfield mentioned that the problem with these sharks happens when a surfer or swimmer’s leg is mistaken for food . He added, “When a swimmer is bitten, it feels more like a quick punch to the leg, and then it’s over. It happens so fast that people don’t even realize it until they look down and see the laceration.”
He further mentioned, “The worst cases I’ve seen involve tendon damage, but those are rare.” However, as shark bites are considered to be one of the most threatening things that can happen to spring breakers, rip currents also have caused a lot of trouble among people who love the beach.
Two miles from New Smyrna, the area near Ponce Inlet is one such hazardous place when it comes to rip currents. Talking about it is a dangerous place Captain Canfield said, “It’s almost like a vector system. The water rotates in that corridor, trapping nutrients and bait fish. Fishermen cast their lines for all sorts of species, and surfers flock there because the water reflecting off the jetty adds an extra foot to the surf.”
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Moreover, he also mentioned that people who get a little too deep into the sea can also be victims of rip currents, adding, “You can go hip-deep and start to get into serious trouble. The pull starts, and a wave will come in. It lifts you up just slightly, and before you know it, you’re much farther out than you realize.”
Captain Canfield also provided a solution for a situation like this, saying, “You just need to get out of the rip current by swimming parallel to the shore. Don’t try to swim backward or forward against it, and most importantly, don’t panic.”
Therefore, while it’s a great thing to be enjoying a sunny day on the beach, one should be aware of both sharks and rip currents as they can be severely damaging and in some cases, life threatening.
