Stop traffic guys, the 1975 movie and 1974 novel Jaws has come to life! About ten days ago on an Egyptian resort nestled by the Red Sea, four unfortunate eastern European souls fell victim to shark attacks. Not to worry, local governor Shosha ordered the beach closed for a 48 hour period in which time two sharks were whacked by the authorities. "Hey guys, we got 'em... destroyed this shark duo and now the seas are safe." Well played all-star! Within 24 hours of saying the waters were all clear, an unsuspecting woman was attacked and killed in water no deeper than four to five feet.
Five unlucky travelers experienced the wrath of the shark over a six day time span. The crazy part is that in the last DECADE, only six attacks were reported at this resort. But wait, it gets better. Officials surrounding this incident claim with certainty that two of these attacks were caused by the same shark! Although not as glamorous and cinematized as Jaws, this is one very intriguing story. We may just have a serial killer shark.
There are a number of theories floating about which try to give reason to these "bizarre" attacks. One of these theories is a low supply of fish in the Red Sea which forces these aquatic beasts to seek alternative sustenance. Another suggest that a ship dumped sheep carcasses in the Red Sea. The reason for a ship carrying these dead balls of cotton has something to do with the Muslim celebrated Feast of the Sacrifice but that isn't why I'm here. The shark featured in the article, an oceanic white tip, hunts in a pack to find an optimal food source.
Let's just get right down to it; sharks are predators that hunt other sea creatures and eat them. It's a pretty simple concept. I don't buy this whole theory that "they're just as scared of us as we are of them." You expect me to believe that these sea lion shredding monsters of the deep are scared of us? An adult male sea lion can grow up to 9 feet in length and weigh over 770 pounds and they're scared of a human that might stand about 6 feet tall and tip the scales at a whopping 175 pounds? There are a few holes in that logic.
That being said, humans walked into their kitchen. With noses to the sky and chests puffed out, the human race kicked their figurative back door down and stepped into that monster's watery abyss. I honestly can't imagine why they would sink teeth into one of us... Let's say a shark somehow flies through your door with its offspring acting like fools and messing with your entire feng shui. If this scenario impossibly presents itself, are you going to stand idly by and watch as these douche bags use your house as a playground? I think not. You would grab the nearest firearm or blunt object and have a heyday sending those beady eyed fin-strapped jackasses back to where they came from.
In my opinion, the entire shark species has been incredibly lenient on us humans. In 2007 there were about 70 "unprovoked" attacks on humans by sharks. In comparison to the outrageous amount of people who visit beaches and partake in its watery services each year, that's a pretty generous statistic. If that many sharks invaded land each year, we humans would slaughter thousands without hesitation. Caps busted and harpoons shot, we'd take 'em down. Yet we are surprised and even baffled when these deep sea assassins decide to bite limbs off our arrogant asses every so often. Don't hate, they're just keeping us in check and letting us know that when we step into the big mass of liquid mystery that is the ocean, we're setting foot into their world. Sleep on it. Until next time. God bless.
