Aussie swimmers, watch your backs! Apparently some recent rainfall has stirred up the Gold Coast’s bull sharks and experts are warning people to be careful when swimming in the Nerang River and the Broadwater.
The combination of wet weather and the shark breeding season has created a potentially deadly risk to anyone entering Gold Coast waters…
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A 12-year-old Orlando girl became Volusia County’s 13th shark bite victim of the year Monday.
Beachgoers said they could see the circular teeth marks on the young girl’s arm.
The girl and her family were staying in Daytona Beach for the Labor Day weekend and had just checked out of their hotel Monday. Her parents decided to spend a few more hours at the beach. She was swimming in waste deep water when the shark came out of nowhere.
There have been 13 bites in Volusia County so far this year and, while most are minor, some swimmers aren’t so lucky. A surfer near Ponce Inlet had his hand nearly bitten off by a shark at the end of August.
Still, Beach Patrol say shark bites are rare. Yeah right.
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Part of New Smyrna Beach is becoming Central Florida’s most dangerous stretch of beach when it comes to sharks. Volusia County leads the state in shark bites and one small part of the beach is the worst of the worst.
So far in 2007, Volusia County has seen 12 shark bites. Ten of them have been just south of the Ponce Inlet jetty, including two over the weekend.
The area is known for two things. It has great waves, which attracts a lot of surfers, and it has a lot of fish, which attracts a lot of sharks. In fact, with the two bites this weekend, Volusia County has now tied its shark bite total for all of last year.
Looks like the sunshine state is the shark attack capital of the world. Last year, 23 people were attacked in Florida.
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A shark bit the left hand of a 27-year-old man who was wading in the ocean near the New Smyrna Beach jetty Saturday.
The beachgoer is the 11th victim of a shark bite this year, and the third person to be nipped since last Sunday.
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Two more victims were added to the list this weekend. One was a 19-year-old surfer, while the other was a 15-year-old girl. Both were attacked near Ponce Inlet Jetty at New Smyrna Beach this weekend.
The bites were minor, but they bring the total number of attacks up to eight for Volusia County.
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Man… New Smyrna Beach just can’t get a break. The jellyfish are back in full force this weekend.
The Volusia County Beach Patrol said they’ve treated hundreds of beachgoers for jellyfish stings, and every lifeguard had to ask for more vinegar to treat the stings.
A 16-year-old girl was taken to Bert Fish Medical Center after she went into shock from a sting.
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Volusia County Health Department urged swimmers Thursday not to swim in freshwater lakes and ponds. A deadly microscopic critter known as Naegleria fowleri has come out to play due to warm water temperatures and ew, these guys swim up your nose and attack your brain.
So in addition to avoiding the beaches of Volusia County, you should also stay away from lakes, ponds or any stagnant fresh water… or at the very least, wear your nose clips!
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More than two hundred bathers were treated for jellyfish stings yesterday on the beaches of Javea, Spain. L’Arenal beach got it the worst with 150 stings, forcing lifeguards to raise the red warning flags to keep bathers out of the water.
How do you say “ouch” in Spanish?
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A 30-year old woman from Ohio was bitten by a shark Tuesday on the eastern part of Atlantic Beach, NC.
The woman felt something grab her right thigh. She began kicking it with her left foot, and the shark then bit her left foot before swimming off. Officials report bite marks were visible on her left foot and she sustained serious injuries to her right leg. Judging from the bite marks, the shark was probably about a 5-footer.
The woman, whose name has not been released, was taken to the hospital.
The beaches were never closed, and they say it is safe to swim. Huh?
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