With Shark Week starting on Sunday and Blake Lively’s new film, The Shallows, hitting theaters today (Friday, June 24th), the excitement and paranoia about sharks is getting real. As a shark enthusiast and activist myself, I cannot stress enough the importance of protecting our oceans’ wildlife and overall preservation. I am in LA for the summer, and I was walking along Santa Monica Beach the other day when I realized that there are many more things about going to the beach that are way more scary than sharks. This is a countdown of the top 10 things people should be more worried about encountering at the beach instead of a shark.
10. Your Own Imagination
It goes without saying that the only way to truly freak yourself out is with the creativeness of your own mind. So first and foremost when going to the beach, take a breath, and don’t let your imagination get the best of you.
9. Seals
When my family and I went to Oregon a few years back, we decided to go to the beach. The water was chilly and it was overcast, so not preferable swimming conditions, but that didn’t stop us. My sister and I were in the water when I looked behind me and saw a black ball-like shape. It looked like a scuba-diver, so I wasn’t unnerved at first. Later, my sister looked back and freaked out. We thought it was a shark! We ran out of the water like crazy people only to discover that it was a seal and that seals are all over the beaches of Oregon. Pretty scary if you don’t know your local trivia.
8. Stingrays
My family and I went to San Diego a lot for vacations. One year, we went with our old family friends and were informed that stingrays were known to burrow in the sand and if you didn’t shuffle your feet, you’d get stung. We thought it was a myth until myself and the son of our friend were out boogie boarding in the water. Surely enough, a stingray swam by us. This one was not spotted in the sand, but other people were shuffling their feet too. And we all remember what happened to Steve Irwin.
7. Sand Crabs
Speaking of sand, number 7 is a pinching one. On some beaches, there are little crabs that live in the sand and make their way out of their homes when a wave washes over them. Most of the time they will just scurry and bury themselves again, but it’s still not the most ideal thing to see while sunbathing.
6. Birds
If you go to the beach to have a picnic, read a book, or just to relax and enjoy the sunshine, watch out for the birds! The birds on beaches are ruthless and will stop at nothing to disturb your peace.
5. Currents
"It’s the East Australian Current dude!" We all remember Marlin and Dory cruising down the EAC and how fast they were going. And its’s true, currents are very powerful and if you’re not careful and aware of where you’re swimming, you can get pulled by one which is sooo not totally cool dude.
4. Lifeguards telling you about the currents
When lifeguards drive over to where you’re swimming it’s basically the scariest thing in the world because you don’t know what they’re doing it for. It’s not to warn you about a shark, but to warn you about the currents. Be aware of your surroundings!
3. Beach Trash
I don’t have much to say about this one because it’s pretty self explanatory. But seriously…it’s disgusting and really hurts our oceans. Don’t be a litterer; pick up your trash.
2. Seaweed
Seaweed is the silent killer. It lurks in the water and when it’s got you in its grasp…it’s got you. Ever feel something hit the bottom of your feet in deeper water? It’s seaweed. It’s literally the scariest thing in the ocean. It’s like a sea monster.
1. People
Of all the things cringe worthy and completely terrifying at the beach, people are definitely at the top of the list. First of all, you’re 100% more likely to run into people at the beach rather than a shark. People are the oceans’ biggest threats. With the trash we leave behind and the over crowding at beaches, oceans’ ecosystems struggle to thrive.
Research done by the scientists at IFL Science have roughly estimated that 100 million sharks are killed each year by humans, but the number could be as much as 273 million. Like many people, I had a fear of sharks until I started watching Shark Week and once I understood that sharks are not natural predators of human beings, my fear diminished and I am now wildly fascinated in learning as much as I can. If we work together and become more educated about our oceans and ocean wildlife, we help get on track to ending the disappearance of sharks. At the end of the day, the only thing you really have to fear when you go to the beach is yourself and those around you.
