As family and friends flock to U.S. shores for the holiday weekend, experts are giving beachgoers practical tips to keep in mind when wading in the water with one of the ocean’s most feared hunters.
Dr. Robert Hueter, senior scientific and academic adviser at OCEARCH, told Fox News Digital that swimmers should be aware they are swimming with sea life, and not in an enclosed pool or lake.
“The first thing to remember is don’t be afraid of the ocean,” he said. “The ocean is just an amazing, life-giving place. It’s important to everything we do on this planet. Have fun in the ocean this weekend.”
“But remember, the ocean is not a swimming pool. It’s not even a lake,” Hueter says. “It’s a big, wild place, full of life.”
Shark Watch: Predator tears Florida woman’s leg off, leaving ‘corpse crawling’ between her legs as she desperately seeks prey
Shark-tracking group OCEARCH tweeted a warning last week that an 11-foot-long, 883-pound great white shark named Freya was swimming near the Atlantic City coastline. (OCEARCH/Chris Ross)
Hueter offered some practical tips for beachgoers heading to the coast this holiday weekend.
“This is a list of very simple steps to avoid increasing your risk of being bitten by a shark,” Hueter said.
On July 4, 2023, a crowd celebrated Independence Day in Huntington Beach, California. (Allen J. Schaven/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
1. Assess the water quality
Shark experts suggested checking for posted warnings about waves and current conditions before diving in.
“You can go OCEARCH website Also, check out our safety tips,” Harter said.
Bull shark goes berserk during tag-and-release activity off South Carolina
“First, remember that the risk of drowning is 132 times higher than the risk of being bitten by a shark, let alone dying from a shark bite,” he said, “so be sure to pay close attention to rip currents, ocean conditions, and follow any guidelines given by lifeguards at the beach.”
2. Not swimming in the food chain
Before entering the water, Hueter said to watch the surface and look for increased animal activity, such as schools of fish or flocks of birds.
“When you go in the water, make sure you keep an eye on the conditions,” he says, “and if you see a lot of creatures, a lot of fish, flocks of birds diving, remember that there may be bigger fish out there trying to eat those little ones.”
Great White Shark (iStock)
“I don’t want to be in the middle of it, I just want to get out of the way,” Hueter said, “and I don’t want to be part of the food chain, so to speak.”
“Assuming that’s not happening and people aren’t fishing in the area, fishing is essentially attracting fish and sharks and other larger animals that get in the water and enjoy themselves,” Harter said.
Doctor on vacation reacts after discovering blood in water near child
3. Don’t swim too far
“Don’t go out too far in the summer because that’s when the sharks are,” he says. “The Fourth of July is when a lot of people get in the water, but it’s also when there are a fair number of sharks out here.”
“So if the beach is structured like the first sandbar, stay inside the first sandbar,” Hueter said.
OCEARCH recently launched its 46th ocean research expedition, known as “Expedition Southeast,” which is scheduled to conclude on December 15th. (Educational Image/Universal Image Group)
4. More people means more safety
Hueter reminded swimmers that more is safer and to never swim alone in the ocean.
“Stay with other people,” he said, “don’t just target yourself because the sharks might investigate.”
‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ actor’s wife breaks silence after shark attack and death
The sharks “are not actually looking for us,” he said.
““If they are, they must be awfully bad, because they bite fewer than 100 people worldwide each year,” he says. “That’s millions of humans and millions of sharks.”
“So I just don’t want to get in their way,” he said.
5. Avoid shiny jewelry and brightly colored swimwear
Harter said to avoid wearing flashy jewelry that could attract the sharks’ attention.
“Don’t wear shiny jewelry when you swim because you don’t want to attract their attention,” he said.
The sparkly jewelry could look like fish scales, which the sharks might want to examine more closely, he said.
Crowds watch fireworks in Miami Beach, Florida. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Harter said things like wearing brightly colored swimwear could attract unwanted attention from sharks.
“We do advise against wearing brightly colored swimwear, but most people wear brightly colored shirts, so keep that in mind.”
“The ocean is a wild place,” he says. “You have to get inside a shark’s head and think, ‘What am I looking for?'”
How to safely set off fireworks on the 4th of July
Harter reiterated that the sharks may not be searching for people, but are instead checking out shiny jewelry or fluorescent swimsuits.
“You don’t want to attract their attention and get close and bitten,” he said.
6. Swim in the ocean during the day
“Only be in the ocean during the day or when other people are around,” Hueter says. “Avoid swimming between dusk and dawn.”
Hueter advised against swimming at dusk as sharks are “pretty active” there.
“Sharks are very active during these two times because they have an advantage over their prey,” he says, “but it also robs them of the ability to determine that the prey is not what they’re after.”
Shark expert Dr Robert Hueter said: “The first thing to remember is not to be afraid of the ocean. It’s an amazing, life-loving place and it’s important to everything we do on this planet. So get out there and have fun this weekend.” (Allen J. Schaven/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
7. Have fun
Hueter urged beachgoers to enjoy the Fourth of July weekend and to follow safety advice.
“Keep in mind that in the lead up to the Fourth of July, there is a significant increase in human-shark interactions,” he says, “not because sharks are particularly congregating on shore because it’s Independence Day, but because more people are going into the water at this time of year than at other times of the year.”
Click here to get the FOX News app
“Sharks and people get together, and that’s why people get bitten,” Hueter said, “so be safe, follow our tips, and have a great Fourth of July.”
