Sharks Off Fla. 'Nothing To Fear'
Swarms of sharks have been spotted swimming dangerously close to shore off Palm Beach County, Fla., where it's Spring Break season and the beaches have been packed with tourists.
But Ellen Prager, a marine scientist and author of "The Oceans," says humans for the most part have little to fear from the creatures.
"The
," she tells The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen, "but these sharks are basically making a seasonal migration from south, going north. It's very typical. What happens is, they go into shore to feed on bait fish. So this is nothing unusual, really. We're mainly looking at black tips and spinners."And I'll tell you what: People are not good shark food. They much prefer a nice, oily fish or maybe in the West Coast, a nice blubbery seal. People are bony, skinny; they're not good shark food. So, for the most part, unless it's an accident, sharks really don't attack people."
Prager explained sharks have "incredible sensory systems," but don't see well. So many shark incidents come in murky waters, and are really accidental on the part of sharks: They figure out what's in their mouth by biting down, and usually don't like humans.
"That's the problem," Prager says. "It doesn't really know until it bites, what it's eating."
"Shark incidents or attacks are extremely rare," she continues. "For the most part, there's nothing to fear, and I'll tell you from personal experience, when I've been diving or snorkeling, when I see a shark, it sees me and it goes the opposite way"
Prager suggests not swimming at dusk or dawn, when sharks feed. Swim in groups, and steer clear when bait fish are there.
She says the sharks off Palm Beach County "are moving north day-by-day, and they'll be out of this area in the next couple of weeks. Truthfully, we'll see sharks in this area for a while, but probably not this massive."
The only reason anyone sees them at all this year, experts observe, is that the waters in the area are unusually clear. In years past, when the water wasn't as clear, the migration didn't even create a ripple. But this year, the water is so clear, beachgoers were able to actually see the sharks swimming in the water, and it's creating a very dramatic scene.