Don't Go Into the Water

 

            When the movie Jaws came out in 1975, it terrified the country and created a long-lasting fear of sharks. It portrayed these animals as blood-thirsty killers that would attack anything they saw. The fear that Jaws created still exists, and many people are afraid to swim in the ocean. The fearsome reputation that sharks have obtained is undeserved and causes unnecessary problems on trips to the beach.

            Although sharks do occasionally attack humans, the event is very rare. Usually when this happens, the shark has mistaken a surfer or swimmer for one of its favorite meals, the seal.  Once the shark has tasted the human, it usually will not continue to attack. It recognizes that the person is not its normal food source and swims away. Contrary to what many believe, sharks do not even like the taste of human blood. Sharks prefer to hunt animals with good sources of fat, which provides twice as many calories as muscle. Humans do not offer enough fat for the sharks to be interested. Also, sharks use their teeth like humans use their hands. When they are curious to what something is, they will often bite it and then swim off. Despite what many think, sharks do not attack humans deliberately.

            The shark attacks that do occur are rare. A person is more likely to win the lottery twice than be attacked by a shark. More people are killed each year by dogs, deer, bees, and lightning. Also, each year, more people get injured by their toilets than by sharks.

            After Jaws came out, the shark population was decimated. Rewards were offered for dead sharks and people killed them by the millions. Shark populations in some areas dropped 90 percent. Even today, when the wave of fear has been over for years, 100 million sharks are killed each year by humans. Humans are much more dangerous to sharks than they are to us. So, the next time you go to the beach, don’t be afraid to get in the water.

 

 

“Interesting Facts” February 20, 2013.

<http://library.thinkquest.org/J001458/facts.htm>                                                                                                                                           

      

Activities at the Beach

If you are the type of person who doesn’t like the beach, maybe it is because you can’t find anything interesting or fun to do. Here are a few things that might make your trip to the beach more enjoyable.

One activity many people like to do at the beach is surfing or boogie boarding. Both of these activities involve using a board to ride waves into shore.  Surfing involves standing on a board while a wave pushes you into shore. The first records of surfing for sport first originated in Hawaii. Surfing became a religious thing for the Hawaiians. They developed prayers and made offerings to the gods before boards could be shaped. A person’s skill at surfing could even determine their class in society. Now surfing is not only a pastime that people all over the world enjoy when they are at the beach but also a professional sport. Boogie boarding is an activity that stemmed from surfing. It is a lot like surfing except you do not stand on the board, you lay on it. Surfing and boogie boarding are both ways to have endless fun at the beach.

 

 

Another beach pastime that I personally enjoy is looking for shark’s teeth. Many people enjoy looking for sea shells at the beach but searching for shark’s teeth is an uncommon alternative. They are much less abundant than sea shells so finding them can be more of a challenge. I look for the color and shape of the teeth when I am searching for them. They look almost like triangles and many are either black or brown. I have spent countless hours looking for those little things. It is pretty addictive and makes for a great beach activity.

Yet another fun beach activity is making sand sculptures. This is something you can do alone or with your whole family. Some people enjoy making the traditional sand castles; however, many people like to make different things, such as animals. There are even sand sculpting contests. Whatever you decide to make, it will provide tons of fun at the beach. When you are finished, go wash all of the sand off in the ocean.

These are just a few examples of the enjoyable things you can find to do at the beach. It can be one of the most entertaining places to go for a family vacation.

 

 

“The Origins of Surfing” February 6, 2013.       <http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/spring04/britton/history.htm>