Is Hurricane Erin Pushing Sharks Toward Shore?

Newsweek

4 hours ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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After multiple shark sightings over the weekend, people in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, are wondering if Hurricane Erin is causing sharks to swim closer to the shore as the massive storm skirts by the United States this week.
Why It Matters
As of Thursday morning, Hurricane Erin was a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained wind speeds of 105 miles per hour. Earlier in its progression, Erin was much stronger, even reaching Category 5 strength over the weekend.
Shark behavior is often a topic of conversation during hurricanes and tropical storms, as it's common for hoax photos and videos of sharks swimming in flooded streets to surface during hurricanes.
Stock photo of a sign warning of a shark sighting at a beach.
Stock photo of a sign warning of a shark sighting at a beach.
Five Buck Photos/Getty
What to Know
On Tuesday, The Sun News reported that at least five shark sightings were reported near Myrtle Beach shores over the weekend.
Coastal Carolina University marine biologist Erin Burge explained that although hurricanes can influence shark behavior, they are more likely to swim away from the shore. It is often the presence of fish, not storms, that brings sharks closer to shore. Shark sightings also begin to increase starting in September, as waters cool.
In the interview with The Sun News, Burge said that increased shark sightings don't mean there are more sharks in the area. Instead, clearer waters caused by north and northeast winds allow beachgoers a better chance to see sharks that are already in the area.
Despite the unlikelihood that Hurricane Erin is edging sharks closer to shore, National Weather Service meteorologists said people living along the East Coast, particularly North Carolina, can expect the storm's impacts to continue through the remainder of the week.
The most dangerous impacts will be large waves and life-threatening rip currents, prompting meteorologists to warn people to stay out of the water until conditions improve. Wave activity likely peaked Wednesday night, NWS meteorologist Ryan Fucheck told Newsweek.
"We are still going to continue to see waves around 10-plus feet, especially in the Outer Banks north of Cape Hatteras through Friday," Fucheck said. "As we get to the weekend, conditions will gradually improve."
Myriad weather alerts remain in place along the East Coast as Erin continues to churn in the Atlantic, although most warnings have shifted north.
What People Are Saying
NWS Wilmington, North Carolina, in a coastal flood advisory for the Myrtle Beach area: "Low-lying roads and locations along the Intracoastal Waterway and adjacent tidal creeks may observe minor coastal flooding. Check with local officials for any road closures or impacts. Dangerous swimming and surfing conditions and localized beach erosion. Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water."
The National Hurricane Center, in a public advisory about Hurricane Erin: "Swells generated by Erin will affect the Bahamas, Bermuda, the east coast of the United States, and Atlantic Canada during the next several days. These rough ocean conditions are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip currents. Please consult products from your local weather forecast office for more information."
What Happens Next
Shark sightings are bound to increase over the coming months as ocean conditions make the areas closer to shore more appealing to the marine predators.
Most shark bites occur because a shark mistakes the human for a fish or the human invades the shark's space, according to a report by the Florida Museum. To decrease the likelihood of a shark attack, people are urged against swimming alone and to remain close to shore, as sharks typically prefer deeper waters.