Huge increase in shark attacks on North Carolina coast — but why?

Huge increase in shark attacks on North Carolina coast — but why?

N.C. officials are scrambling to understand why sharks are attacking people at an unprecedented rate.

A series of shark attacks off the coast of North Carolina are leading some to call this the “summer of the shark” — and officials are trying to figure out what’s happening.

There have been seven recent shark attacks on the coast of North Carolina, and it’s prompting officials to wonder why these sharks are coming so close to shore and mingling with swimmers they usually stay far away from, according to a Washington Post report.

In fact, it appears that they are different sharks and maybe even from different species, so it’s not a case of one or two rogue sharks from a particularly aggressive species.

Local officials are handing out pamphlets to inform beachgoers that there are sharks in the water and that they should remain aware. A sheriff’s office is also flying a helicopter along the shore to see if sharks can be spotted. The National Park Service, meanwhile, is keeping ambulances and paramedics on standby.

Seven shark attacks is an astonishingly high number for a state that has recorded 25 attacks total since 2005. State officials are trying to see if they can sniff out a pattern that could explain this spate of attacks.

Some have recommended closing beaches where attacks have occurred at least for a few days.

Still, even with attacks that have happened lately, it’s extremely rare to come into a confrontation with a shark compared to other wildlife, such as bees. Also, if you’re in the water, drowning is a much more dangerous threat than shark attacks, and it’s not even close. Thousands of people drown while vacationing on the beach — vastly more than the handful that die from shark attacks.

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