Over this past summer I have noticed a trend; there are two questions that I can almost guarantee I will be asked. Are there sharks? Are there alligators? Yes for both questions, yet the chances of seeing them are slim to none. I wanted to use this week’s blog to shed some light on both of these phobias. As for alligators, they are opportunistic eaters. Meaning they feed on whatever is readily available. No alligator will go out of its way for a meal, especially if it’s a big kayak heading there way. The odds of someone being seriously injured by an unprovoked alligator are roughly one in 2.4 million.
Sharks on the other hand have gotten a bad rap as bloodthirsty man-eaters. At the end of the day there is nothing to fear but fear itself. While shark encounters do occur, they are extremely rare, despite the extreme media coverage of small incidents. In actuality, most sharks are not trying to hurt people, they are curious and mistake people for fish. To this point there have been no recorded incidents including people, sharks, and kayaks together.
In reality we encounter situations daily which have a much higher risk rate than any threat posed by sharks or alligators. Transportation is the most dangerous part of any adventure. It is much more likely to be killed in a car wreck or by an illness than by a shark or alligator attack. The truth is these animals exist for a reason, helping to keep our food chain in order. There is no reason to fear these animals, only respect them. Below are some links to check out additional information about alligators and sharks.
Sharks
- https://www.defenders.org/sharks/basic-facts
- https://www.seashepherd.org/sharks/?gclid=CjwKEAjw_LG8BRDb1JTxm8uP_UwSJADu_8pWlO_tjkRu0_G5Dv7retSkL3SC0bfFePfRQtmZzKWTBRoCG2Tw_wcB
Alligators
Don & Diane Harty own Mahanaim Adventures. They specialize in helping families and groups to have “Positive & Memorable” outdoor adventures. Whether these are wildlife view adventure, camping adventure or a simple kayaking adventure. They provide kayaking adventures on Town Creek, Cape Fear River, Fort Fisher Basin, Masonboro Island, Black River, Holly Shelter Creek and Moores Creek. Contact them at www.mahanaimadventures.com for more information about all of their adventures.
This Blog was Written by Sam Law. I am Mahanaim Advenures new intern for the summer of 2016. I am a Park and Recreation Management Student at East Carolina, Go Pirates! I love the the ocean and outdoors more than anything. This coming summer i will be writing a blog similar to this each week to let everyone know about the awesome adventures and encounters we have. I hope to see ya’ll out paddling this summer.
Cheers!