Last week’s shark bite in the Outer Banks only 2nd on record in winter
AVON, N.C. — When a shark bit a surfer on the foot last week in Rodanthe, it was the first winter attack in nearly 20 years off North Carolina and only the second on record.
Likely, last week’s bite came from a small blacktip shark chasing bait fish close to shore during exceptionally warm January temperatures, said Gavin Naylor, program director of the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida.
“That’s an anomaly,” he said. “All self-respecting blacktips are supposed to be in Miami now.”
Sharks and their mouthful of dagger teeth are frightening, but fascinating. The Outer Banks has its share of the predators.
Fisherman talk of seeing hundreds of sharks offshore. Large fish caught on charter boats are often bit in half by a shark before they are reeled into the boat. Photos from above the water show hundreds of sharks swimming in schools along the coast.
The International Shark Attack File published its annual report of bites on Tuesday. The United States led the world, as usual, with 41 unprovoked shark bites, an increase of nine over 2018, according to the report. None were fatal.
Florida had the most in 2019 with 21. Hawaii was next with nine, followed by North Carolina and California with three each.
Australia was second behind the United States in unprovoked bites with 11. Total shark bites worldwide were 64.
Sharks looking for food will normally avoid humans, Naylor said. If one does bite a person, it’s often young and still trying to figure out its prey. When sharks target a fish, they chompandswallow.Whentheybite a human, they typically let go, he said.
“Humans are much bigger than the prey they are usually seeking,” he said.
Some large species, such as bull sharks, could bite and jerk their heads to the side, causing more damage.
A photo of the Rodanthe surfer’s
“All self-respecting blacktips are supposed to be in Miami now.”
— Gavin Naylor, program director of the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida. foot shows an even, crescent shaped bite mark across the end of his foot. It looked like it was caused by a small shark that bit and released, said Tyler Bowling, program manager of the International Shark Attack File.
Sharks typically migrate south for thewinterandattacks areextremely rare along the mid-Atlantic in winter months. But a small percentage of sharks don’t move south. Some females are too exhausted from birthing shark pups and migrate every other year, Bowling said.
A total of 56 shark bites were reported off North Carolina in the past 20 years, according to the International Shark Attack File. The month of July had the most with 23, followed by June and August.
The record shows no shark attacks in North Carolina during January until last week. None were reported in February, March, April or November.
A mako shark bit a surfer in December 2003, Bowling said. But mako sharks are warm blooded and are found year-round off the Outer Banks. They usually do not swim close to shore making that bite also unusual, he said.
Jeff Hampton, 252-491-5272, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com