Experts address beachgoers’ concerns following shark bite in New Smyrna Beach on Fourth of July (2024)

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – It was a busy Friday at Jacksonville Beach as people soaked up the sun after the Fourth of July festivities, and with more people in the water, the higher the chances of a shark bite, according to experts.

In New Smyrna Beach, a shark bit a 21-year-old Ohio man Thursday.

The Jacksonville Beach parking lots were filled with cars with out-of-state license plates — a good indicator of who was out in the water.

“I might walk in it. I’m more scared of jellyfish than sharks. Because I can’t see them,” a visitor from Minnesota told News4JAX.

Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue will be keeping a close eye on the shores this holiday weekend, and with the shark bite incident on the Fourth of July, many visitors were nervous about the ocean water.

“We might just kick our legs in the water a little bit, but we’re gonna be very alert,” a local beachgoer said.

Captain of Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue Rob Emahiser said sharks are a common concern among beachgoers.

“That is probably one of our most frequently asked questions by people who don’t know about the ocean. People who are visiting tourists ask about sharks. That’s a very frequently asked question. But you should be more concerned about ocean currents,” Emahiser said.

Emahiser said sharks are not a huge concern on Jacksonville Beach, what’s more concerning is inexperienced swimmers.

“If you’re really concerned about sharks, ask lifeguards. They’re very experienced in educating you about that. But with New Smyrna, there’s an inlet there,” Emahiser said. “Ponce Inlet is known to be quite a spot for sharks, so don’t swim there. So, don’t swim near an inlet, any inlet…. anywhere where people are fishing a lot and having success. If you see a large pod of baitfish jumping, that is food for any kind of marine animal that’s going to eat smaller fish.”

That advice also means to stay away from the pier where people are fishing. Shark bites are usually a case of mistaken identity, which is what shark researchers said likely happened in New Smyrna Beach.

“So you now have a situation with sharks chasing their dinner in an environment, which is all churned up because of the surf. So the visibility is poor. And it’s full of people on surfboards with their arms and legs dangling over the side. You can imagine that the sharks, when they’re looking for baitfish, are going to encounter a bunch of people with their arms and legs dangling over the side and make mistakes once in a while. And that’s what happens,” University of Florida Director of Shark Research Gavin Naylor said.

Researchers said what we’re seeing is normal shark activity, and told News4JAX it has nothing to do with warmer ocean waters.

“I don’t think people should be concerned with that when it comes to this particular instance, I think one of the things that’s confusing people is caught this idea called shifting baseline. And oftentimes people equate that to climate change,” Director of OCEARCH Chris Fischer said.

Naylor agreed with Fischer.

“It’s not a factor in this. Sharks have been around for 400 million years; they’ve been through the Permian extinction, which was a lot more dramatic than the current climate change we’re looking at,” Naylor said.

University of Florida data shows there were 69 unprovoked shark bites in the world last year. Sixteen of those were in Florida and Volusia County is responsible for half of those bites, earning its title for the 30th year straight.

Beachgoers can take some of the following steps to avoid shark bites:

• Don’t wear shiny jewelry

• Don’t swim on your own

• Don’t go swimming at dawn or dusk

• Don’t go swimming where people are fishing or near where baitfish are swimming