A couple of shark encounters scared beach goers in Orleans, Massachusetts and Santa Cruz, California this weekend. No one was hurt, but both sharks were identified as Great Whites and each was at least 12 feet long. Experts say the sharks were hunting seals, not people. Ed Schultz talks to marine biologist and shark expert Chris Wojcik about what's attracting sharks to the beaches on both coasts.
A couple of shark encounters grabbed national headlines this weekend. And while the Great Whites are fascinating and scary, what’s attracting them could be the bigger problem.
Sunday, a first-time kayaker off Cape Cod in Orleans, Massachusetts was chased by a shark. A surfer pointed out the dorsal fin as he was paddling just 100 feet off shore. The picture’s amazing.
The kayaker made for the beach to safety. The harbormaster said the shark was at least 12 feet long and witnesses on the beach said it was bigger than the kayak. The survivor joked that he’d teased his daughter earlier in the day after she’d said she was scared of sharks. He says he’s not afraid to go back into the water, though.
A kayaker in Santa Cruz, California had a much closer encounter with a much bigger shark this weekend. He was fishing with friends when a 15-18 foot shark closed in. His friends pulled him to safety, but the shark left a mark. There were teeth marks in the kayak and even tooth fragments.
But marine experts say you shouldn't worry about sharks. They say you should worry about seals. Sharks are hunting seals and that’s what’s bringing them so close to shore.
Seals have been protected since the 1960’s. That protection got tougher under the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972. It’s a crime to injure or harass any marine mammal, including seals.
There’s no official count on the seal population, but some experts estimate a quarter million grey seals migrate to the Eastern Seaboard this time of year. Aerial surveys found the Harbor Seal population nearing 100,000 from Maine to Connecticut, but it’s tough to judge their actual numbers, since it’s hard to spot seals in the water.
But while seal hunting has been banned, shark hunting or “finning” continues. The seal population is exploding, while their natural predators are dwindling in number.
Leave a Comment:
We really have absolutely no idea as to what the ramifications of climate change will be to the delicate balance of nature. I fear we are in for some nasty surprises.
Just ignore it. It will go away.
Scientists know exactly what will happen. The science is very clear. There is no mystery.
Declining Arctic Ice has lost the ability to cool the planet (click here).
Koch knows this. He has stated that he knows the planet is warming up.
David Koch thinks "The Earth will be able to support enormously more people because a far greater land area will be available to produce food" (click here).
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The problem is that the Koch brothers and fossil fuel executives are using political influence to modify research funding and media organizations without having any idea what will happen.
They're still going to find people, not seals.
mit romney will look good in a "seal suit", I guarantee it.
no..Sharks all know its open season on politicians..they're hoping some Kennedy's are still left
you got that mixed up. they are looking for ex Mass govs. they are health ins repo guys in disguise..........
WOW a shark in the ocean, whats next next? Fish in the lake? snakes in the grass? flys in your house?
But this is where they flimed "Jaws" maybe jaws is back..
If not for global warming the country would still be under a sheet of ice miles thick.
I bet a bunch of wind mills & solar panels will get rid of that nasty ole shark.
Anything to take the attention off the sorry job that their messiahBama has done with his failed attempt at trying to run our country, our economy, our LIVES. ANYTHING to distract from the TRUTH! That's what liberals do ya know. In fact, that's ALL they do.
Willard Mittens Romney will never have to worry about this. No shark will ever touch him
Professional courtesy.
perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh my ribs....classic!!!!!!!!!!!!
Its the land sharks we gotta worry about! I fear the Yellow bellied Blue Blooded Land Sharks! They will take a bite out of your wallet and head offshore of the Grand Caymans!
Wow, you people are just pathetic. Really pathetic. No surprise there. Oh yeah "@hesback" that was so funny I forget you're an ignorant liberal t u r d.
came back and low and behold.....I'm a turd.....oh my ribs..........Romney is still a land shark....oh my ribs.........
climate change is a natural thing and that all people with common sense know, but the people without it cant get the fact that we humans are speeding it up. Ice cores shows a steady CO2 for thousands of years, but in the last 150 or so years the CO2 gas has increased quickly, and that is what is warming the earth faster and changing our weather and our ocean currents... So wake up we are destroying our home and guys and gals and we dont have a place to move to... So if you dont want to believe in climate change or gobal warming the please do so and let us who know if we dont clean up our act our way of live may go the way of other species. We are not special we are called a human animal and our species can go extinct like any species.
As for sharks I grew up in Calif. and went to the cost all my life, and there has been shark attacks but not at the rate we have seen in the last years. One cause is warmer currents, the increase of the seal populations, and more people who are going into the water where these guys live. If you have lived near ocean then you know you dont want to look like a great white's dinner while you are in the water or you maybe in for a nasty bite in the butt or else where.
Anything to take the attention off the sorry job that their messiahBama has done with his failed attempt at trying to run our country, our economy, our LIVES. ANYTHING to distract from the TRUTH! That's what liberals do ya know. In fact, that's ALL they do.
The problem is that declining Arctic Ice is loosing the ability to cool the planet (click here).