Recent shark attacks in the Martha's Vineyard area have been gruesome and unprovoked. Two deaths have been reported; a local young boy and a teenage girl were mauled by what is believed to be a shark with a mean streak. This may have you wondering: "Could a shark attack like that happen on the New Hampshire seacoast?"
Experts feel that there is no need for beach lovers to fear. J. Dennis Robinson, the editor of SeacoastNH.com said that he hadn't even heard of one. "I assume that if there had been one, it would be part of local lore and history," Robinson said. "After 20 years of studying local history, I have not heard of one," he added.
This is surely a relief for those who crowd the area beaches over the summer. There are scientific reasons that make it very unlikely that a similar shark attack will occur in the New Hampshire seacoast area.
"The water is simply too cold," said Stacia A. Sower, who is a professor at the UNH Center for Marine Biology. She added that sharks do not usually attack humans.
Combined with the cold water factor, it is clear that there is no need for anyone to fear a shark attack. With less people in the water anyway because of the cold temperatures, it is even less likely that a shark would be in the area; much less that it would be provoked.
While the movie "Jaws" could strike fear into the heart of moviegoers, such attacks would simply not happen here. Keep swimming!
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