The lovely emerald-green waters off the coast of South Carolina draw thousands and thousands of sun-loving beachgoers yearly. But vacationers aren’t the one guests who flock to the seashores for solar and surf; sharks are drawn to the state’s estuaries, piers, and fishing holes, the place faculties of fish present an countless buffet. But sharks are likely to get a nasty rap, thanks partly to the 1975 cult traditional Jaws, whose unofficial tagline, “Don’t Go within the Water,” frightened swimmers out of the Atlantic Ocean for years. In actuality, sharks hardly ever assault, with just a few species, like the nice white, tiger, and bull shark, being territorial and aggressive.
According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) on the Florida Museum of Natural History, 36 “unprovoked” shark bites have been within the US in 2023. An “unprovoked” shark chunk happens when a shark assaults an individual within the ocean with out being harassed by somebody trying to feed or contact a shark. South Carolina had two reported shark bites in 2023, rating behind Florida and Hawaii.
Myrtle Beach
View of Myrtle Beach South Carolina.
Myrtle Beach is a well-liked South Carolina trip hotspot, with greater than 17 million guests drawn to its 60 miles of lovely sandy seashores, well-known boardwalk, vibrant nightlife, and Southern hospitality. The Myrtle Beach space known as the Grand Strand and contains 14 communities alongside the South Carolina coast. It is thought for frequent shark sightings, significantly throughout summer time. Several species, together with blacktip and spinner sharks, are widespread. On common, Myrtle Beach studies one to 2 shark assaults per 12 months, leading to minor accidents. On August 15, 2022, two individuals have been bitten by sharks on the identical day without work the shoreline of Myrtle Beach.
Still, given the thousands and thousands of holiday makers to Myrtle Beach yearly, the incidents are comparatively uncommon. Most incidents happen from late spring to early fall, which mirrors the migratory patterns of sharks transferring by means of the nice and cozy waters. Fishing attracts sharks nearer to shore, particularly close to fishing piers the place fish are being cleaned, or loads of bait will be discovered. Sharks are extra lively throughout daybreak and nightfall, in style instances for anglers trying to reel within the catch of the day.
Sea Pines Beach
Lemon shark shut up with Remora Fish.
Sea Pines Beach is on the very south tip of Hilton Head Island—a picturesque barrier island off the coast of South Carolina. The seashore is a part of a personal 5,000-acre group with a resort, a marina, a forest protect, and a PGA Tour golf group. There are loads of actions for guests on the Sea Pines Resort, together with golf, tennis, water sports activities, and strolling alongside the 5 miles of sandy seashores. There can also be no scarcity of assorted shark species roaming the waters off Hilton Head. During the summer time, guests might even see blacktips, positive tooths, bonnetheads (a smaller hammerhead species present in shallow waters), and lemon sharks within the surf zone. In the winter, nice white sharks could sometimes be noticed across the island.
The shallow waters across the Sea Pines Resort are a superb place to see sharks, because the island’s estuaries and marshes present nurseries for varied shark species. A couple of shark assaults have been reported over time at Sea Pines Beach, however the possibilities of getting bitten are comparatively low. In July 2024, sharks attacked two swimmers at Sea Pines.
Folly Beach
Known as Charleston’s Beach Town, Folly Beach exudes laid-back vibes. Most actions revolve across the water, with browsing, paddle boarding, and kayaking excessive on the record of outside water sports activities to take pleasure in. With its proximity to Charleston Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean’s open waters, the seashore is one other prime spot for sharks, particularly close to the Folly Beach Pier. Hammerhead sharks and different shark species are sometimes drawn to piers because of elevated fishing exercise round these areas. Hammerheads are additionally drawn to the shoreline by the presence of blacktips—a popular meal.
Visitors to Folly Beach shouldn’t let the presence of sharks preserve them out of the salty sea because the possibilities of being attacked by a shark are low. Practical security suggestions for avoiding sharks embrace avoiding swimming throughout daybreak and nightfall and through or after storms, because the climate can churn up bait fish, attracting these curious ocean dwellers. Birds diving and fish leaping are additionally tell-tale indicators of a looming shark, so swimmers needs to be cautious of going within the water in the event that they see this habits. Instead of swimming, guests can search for shark enamel on the seashore, the place beachcombers could discover enamel from lemon sharks, sand tiger sharks, bull sharks, and nice white sharks.
Isle of Palms
Skyline of seashore properties at Isle of Palms, in Charleston South Carolina at dawn.
Eighteen miles from Charleston, the stress-free South Carolina barrier Isle of Palms is a much-loved vacation spot for each locals and vacationers. It has considerable marine life, together with loggerhead sea turtles, dolphins, herons, pelicans, osprey, and sharks. The waters surrounding the picturesque Isle of Palms are house to a number of species of sharks, together with blacktip, bonnethead, and bull sharks.
Blacktip sharks, a typical coastal species, are sometimes noticed inshore close to the seashore in the course of the summer time months of May to September, as shark exercise will increase because of migration and breeding patterns. While these sharks are ceaselessly mistaken for extra harmful species, they don’t seem to be extremely harmful to people as they’re timid. In May 2023, a swimmer was bitten by what was considered a 4-5 foot juvenile tiger shark on Isle of Palms.
Hunting Island
Sand dunes with footpath at dawn, Hunting Island State Park South Carolina.
Near historic Beaufort, Hunting Island is a well-liked seashore and a part of South Carolina’s most-visited state park. More than a million vacationers go to the park yearly, drawn to the almost 5 miles of soppy white sand on the Atlantic Ocean aspect of the island. On the opposite aspect of the island, a salt marsh lagoon comprises a singular ecosystem the place dolphins, tiger sharks, shrimp, crabs, and sure turtle species are discovered, with osprey and eagles hovering overhead.
The seashore has skilled quite a few shark sightings, particularly close to its estuary areas, because of its wealthy ecosystem, which makes it a horny feeding space for sharks. As for the shark species on Hunting Island seashore, guests could encounter blacktips, finetooths, bonnetheads, spinner sharks, or lemon sharks, which might typically be seen feeding on small bait fish, equivalent to mullet and menhaden, that are widespread within the surf zone. There have been a number of shark assaults off the seashore on Hunting Island over the previous 10 years, however none just lately.
Summary
South Carolina is actually a high shark hotspot within the US, together with Hawaii, California, North Carolina, and Florida, the place New Smyrna Beach, ranked as probably the most shark-infested space on the planet, known as the “Shark Bite Capital of the World.” According to the Florida Museum of Natural History ISAF, the chances of being attacked by a shark are 1 in 11.5 million. There have been 36 shark assaults within the US, of which two have been deadly—one in California and the opposite in Hawaii. The Palmetto State had two reported shark bites in 2023, however whereas shark sightings and encounters sometimes make headlines, understanding their habits and habitats ensures each guests and these ocean dwellers can safely take pleasure in even the 5 most shark-infested seashores in South Carolina.
