Media frenzy over 2 shark bites

Bull shark hunting along a beach in Panhandle

Sharks always have been and always will be on the coast of Florida. Take it from me, Fishing Sam, who lives in Daytona Beach half the year, and fishes as many of those days as possible.

If you are going to go swimming at the beach, which I recommend you do, consider a few things. Do not swim in low light conditions (morning, evening, or night) That's when sharks feed. Do not swim with shiny jewelry or near schools of baitfish. Lastly, do not swim in murky, low visibility water. A shark is more likely to mistake a leg or arm for a fish.

Always be observant, if you see a shark, get out of the water. You will usually see a dorsal and caudal fin break the water's surface. (Dolphins have a single fin break the surface, and rays will have two fins side-by-side break the surface.)

Sharks are not out to kill us, which the media sometimes seems to be scaring us to believe. It is not worth the media frenzy. You are more lightly to get injured from your car then from a shark. Of the 500 documented attacks in Florida, the fatality rate was 2.4 percent. Sharks have been swimming off our coasts forever, and hopefully they won't be disappearing soon because they are vital to an ocean environment. Just be observant and careful when at the beach and you will be fine.