For three straight weeks last year, great white sharks decided that Capo beach was the place to be. We watched from the SDA office as wet-suited Coast Guard patrolmen, riding on jet skis, jabbed their long poles in the water, hoping to plant tags on the sharks’ backs.
The large shark fins were clearly visible from our office. So were the “No Swimming—Sharks Sighted” signs that dotted the beach. Nobody went swimming.
In the “you can’t make this up” category, here is an actual alert the Sheriff’s Dept. gave to a lone paddleboarder just off the beach:
“ATTENTION IN THE WATER, BE ADVISED THAT YOU ARE PADDLEBOARDING NEXT TO APPROXIMATELY 15 GREAT WHITE SHARKS. WE ARE ADVISING YOU EXIT THE WATER IN A CALM MANNER.”
Yeah right, I’d be in the market for a new pair of trunks.
We even had a little fun with all of this and recreated our logo to suit this shark environment.
Things calmed down a bit after that with few or no more sightings…until last week. And just in time for the summer beach crowds. Swimming anyone?
It’s no surprise that sharks command our respect. They are pretty interesting fish too. According to defenders.org
“Most sharks are especially active in the evening and night when they hunt. Some sharks migrate over great distances to feed and breed. This can take them over entire ocean basins. While some shark species are solitary, others display social behavior at various levels. Hammerhead sharks, for instance, school during mating season around seamounts and islands.”
Did you know there are more than 465 species of shark living in our oceans today? Some are bottom feeders, where the ocean floor is their dwelling. Other large sharks make mealtime out of swimming with their mouths open and filtering what comes through. Hopefully it’s not me (!) or you this summer!
Just like us humans, sharks love the ocean and need a bit to eat and clean water to swim in. Sharks are at the top of the marine animal food chain so they are vital to the eco-balance of the ocean. Respecting their place in the ocean and keeping a cautious eye out whenever you swim should ensure that we can all enjoy the water this summer.
Meanwhile, as May rolls in and summer begins for many, SDA Creative will be here in the office, designing creative marketing materials for our clients. But we’ll keep an eye out in front of the office for any large fins poking up out of the ocean and let you know if we see anything. Stay tuned this summer!
