Isn't fall in the Eastern United States a wonderful time to visit the beach? I'm thinking I'm very grateful right now for my daughter's year round school schedule (she started school on July 30th and has three weeks off for fall break). This is what The Brew Crew has been up to on the lovely unpopulated coast of South Carolina:
We had quite an exciting day here at the beach recently. In all of my forty something years of coming to this exact beach with my parents, grandparents, friends, and family, that has never happened.
Bryce, my 6 year old daughter, and I were leisurely playing on a raft about waist deep in the ocean on a lazy warm sunny afternooon. We'd been out in the water for about 15 minutes or so and I noticed people on the beach waving their arms and yelling. I felt in a daze and I remember thinking, "That is weird. Why are they doing that?" Then something clicked in my brain. SHARK! I grabbed Bryce's small frame and threw her on the raft. I grabbed the edge of the raft and ran as quickly as I could through the water. Once we got to the shore a guy on the beach told me that he'd been fishing nearby and watching a 5 foot shark swim along the shoreline. I was quite shaken up but very curious too. I asked him how he could tell the difference between a shark and a dolphin because we see dolphins jumping out of the water daily, usually in groups. He said that the shark has the back fin and the tail fin and that the shark swims through the water, side to side, versus the dolphin that jumps up and down. He pointed out the shark to me- it was definitely different looking than a dolphin! It was most likely a sand shark which are usually harmless. I did go inside the beach house later and google sand shark incidents at this beach and surrounding beaches and there have been 10 incidents (usually bites to the legs/feet) this past summer which was high.
Sand Sharks:
Understandably, I was quite shaken up by our shark incident! That night while trying to fall asleep, I couldn't stop myself from thinking of other endings to the story! Ah! I wasn't planning on going back into the water. But, the next day, with the sun shinning, all seemed right in the world again. So, we did head back into the water but definitely cautiously, and only about up to our knees at the deepest. Plus, I stayed close to my kids and was looking out for sharks in the water.
I hope you're having a fabulous fall yourself! Where ever you are, whatever you're doing.
Today is rainy and chilly at the beach, so we'll be spending the day inside. Wish us luck that we don't kill each other! :)
Happy living,
Megan
