Sharks, sharks, and more sharks -- media frenzy over sharks

[Viligant_Warrior]

The media has gone cuckoo over sharks again. Near-rabid coverage of shark bites/attacks/sightings. Another one today:

Former Boston Herald editor injured in North Carolina shark attack
A former editor-in-chief at The Boston Herald suffered serious injuries after he dramatically tried to fight off a 7-foot shark Wednesday off the coast of North Carolina.

Dear Media: Get a life! Supposedly responsible publications like National Geographic and CNN -- well, scratch that, CNN is never responsible, but at any rate -- are reporting, for example, that North Carolina is a "perfect storm" for shark attacks, which both organizations aver are "on the increase."

Uh, not so fast. Go to 2015 Shark Attacks and you will see there have been 31 such attacks this year worldwide, counting this morning's which isn't posted on that site yet. How many are there on average worldwide?

How Many Shark Attacks Are There Each Year And Where Do They Occur?

According to the International Shark Attack File, a division of the Florida Museum of Natural History, there were 118 alleged incidents of shark-human interactions worldwide in 2012. Upon review, ISAF found 80 of the incidents to be valid and confirmed cases of “unprovoked attacks,” which it defines as “incidents where an attack on a live human by a shark occurs in its natural habitat without human provocation of the shark.”

So at 30 incidents on the halfway through the year mark, we're actually significantly lower this year than the 10-year average. True, there have been more off the North Carolina coast, but Florida has had only seven this year, and averages 23. Maybe the Florida sharks moved north?

Anyway, it's all absurd. And do you remember the last time this happened? It was off the Florida Gulf Coast. It was September of 2001. When the 11th arrived, the sharks suddenly stopped biting. Hope that's not what it takes this year.

[/tongue-in-cheek]

 

[Nautilus]

As someone who has lived in NC for 26 years, this is statistically abnormal for us. While I'm of the opinion of 'if you swim in somethings food source you cant expect them not to take a bite' this is abnormal for our coastline, even if it does fall in line with yearly averages.

 

[Viligant_Warrior]

As someone who has lived in NC for 26 years, this is statistically abnormal for us. While I'm of the opinion of 'if you swim in somethings food source you cant expect them not to take a bite' this is abnormal for our coastline, even if it does fall in line with yearly averages.

I'm sure it is for North Carolina, Naut. For sure in my sixty-odd years I don't remember NC having this number of incidents. By the same token, there have been very few in Florida this year, where most of them off U.S. coasts occur.

My point was really at the very end of the post. There was a media frenzy about shark attacks off the Florida Gulf Coast in September of 2001. They even had helicopters up, shooting video of the "mass of sharks waiting off-shore for the unsuspecting human."

Then the world blew up. And the sharks stopped biting. Not. If it bleeds, it leads -- unless something bleeds more.

 

[mailmandan]

They are getting everyone ready for shark week!

[video=youtube;soWw4G_oJgk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soWw4G_oJgk[/video]

 

[crossnote]

Of course, the sharks are saying this human season promises to be the biggest yet.
And then again, not all sharks have fins.

 

[mailmandan]

Remember this shark week ad from 2013? Followed by the 2014 ad.

[video=youtube;3_i3PPe3i9Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_i3PPe3i9Y[/video]

 

[crossnote]

Remember this shark week ad from 2013? Followed by the 2014 ad.

[video=youtube;3_i3PPe3i9Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_i3PPe3i9Y[/video]

Snuffy got snuffed, better put a children's advisory on that one

 

[Viligant_Warrior]

Of course, the sharks are saying this human season promises to be the biggest yet.
And then again, not all sharks have fins.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[crossnote]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ooh, ooh, a Libertarian shark!

 

[tourist]

It must be shark week again.

 

[Viligant_Warrior]

Ooh, ooh, a Libertarian shark!

Nah, future shortstop for the Marlins. Or running back for the Dolphins, one or the other.

Sheez, don't ya recognize overused sports clichés when ya see 'em?

 

[Nautilus]

I'm sure it is for North Carolina, Naut. For sure in my sixty-odd years I don't remember NC having this number of incidents. By the same token, there have been very few in Florida this year, where most of them off U.S. coasts occur.

My point was really at the very end of the post. There was a media frenzy about shark attacks off the Florida Gulf Coast in September of 2001. They even had helicopters up, shooting video of the "mass of sharks waiting off-shore for the unsuspecting human."

Then the world blew up. And the sharks stopped biting. Not. If it bleeds, it leads -- unless something bleeds more.

I'll definitely agree there. It's nothing more than media putting something in front of people not related to gay marriage or charleston.

 

[p_rehbein]

Gay and Lesbian criminals kill more people every year than sharks............forget the sharks, don't go swimming with Gay and Lesbian people.........

 

[Viligant_Warrior]

Gay and Lesbian criminals kill more people every year than sharks............forget the sharks, don't go swimming with Gay and Lesbian people.........

I know you! You're DONALD TRUMP!!

 

[jaybird88]

i agree, the media needs to get a life. how much of our news revolves around celebrities and sports? thats not news. and i get tired of sex sells or scandal sells. they want us to believe this is the only thing the public has interest in, but of coarse it sells when you market the crap out of it and cram it down our throats 24/7. and then threre is the fear stories like these sharks, why cant they do a little work and investigate it, but no they want to exaggerate and scare the crap out of everyone.make it exciting! the fact that its deceptive seems to be irrelevant. i would like to hear about the art contest at the local school, or church doing something in the community. but thats not exciting, heres an idea, be creative and make the story exciting, your a journalist!

 

[Shadow-THI]

So at 30 incidents on the halfway through the year mark, we're actually significantly lower this year than the 10-year average. True, there have been more off the North Carolina coast, but Florida has had only seven this year, and averages 23. Maybe the Florida sharks moved north?
[/tongue-in-cheek]

Is that "Land Sharks" moving north, or water born sharks?

 

[jaybird88]

sharks are no joke, i remember this shark that followed an entire family from new england all the way to the bahamas! . . . . wait a sec im thinking of Jaws the revenge. nevermind.

 

[mailmandan]

This is why I don't surf!

 

[wwjd_kilden]

apparently:

there were 15,517 murders in the USA (FBI crime figures) (year 2000)

more than 20,000 people in the USA die from flu every year (U.S. Centers for Disease Control)

On average, 90 people are killed every year in the U.S. by lightning. [NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS SR-193]