Cocaine Sharks Taking Over? New Reasons To Be Afraid of The Water

Human waste and high bacteria levels have been closing local beaches lately. But now, do we have to worry about cocaine sharks? You've heard of the infamous cocaine bear. The bear who consumed a significant amount of cocaine then went on a rampage in a Georgia forest. Now, authorities are warning people in the Florida keys to be weary of "cocaine sharks." 

What are "cocaine sharks?" First off, it is a term being used for an upcoming Discovery TV show that will air during its upcoming "Shark Week." But that's not all. The term was developed because it is a real worry that sharks are consuming drugs that are regularly dropped in the ocean.  Just last month, 14,153 pounds of cocaine in the ocean in nearby Miami.   Tracy Fanara, an environmental engineer, says that sharks are most definitely coming into contact with the drugs and could put them at an even more serious danger to anyone who comes in contact. Fanara has been conducting experiments where they've been dropping bails of fake cocaine filled with a similar stimulant to cocaine to see how the sharks react. There were changes in behavior but it's still too early to tell if it was from the fake cocaine or if it was just a coincidence.

Now, there's no actual proof that sharks are eating cocaine dumped into the waters off the Florida keys HOWEVER marine biologists are warning that there is a very good chance it's happening and will happen. Either way, it is always important to be aware of your surroundings while swimming in any beach.

Here in the northeast, while we don't have as many sharks because the water is colder, there are still SEVERAL shark sightings and even shark attacks each summer. Below, we've listed the area beaches that are more prone to shark sightings so you can plan your next beach outing accordingly.

It is officially shark sighting season on these Massachusetts Beaches! The weather and water are getting warmer and people are starting to run toward the beach. This allows for more shark sightings and God forbid, more shark attacks.

In fact, a whale-watching cruise out of Provincetown officially captured the first shark sighting of the season 30 miles from Boston Harbor on Sunday. With this first shark sighting, experts are now warning people this is the time to start looking out for sharks when you're visiting beaches. 

There are ways you can actually track shark sightings. One being a company called The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. There's also an app called "Sharktivity" where people can report actual shark sightings. You can see how many sightings there have been in the past month, past week and past year. Before we warn you of the beaches where you're more likely to get attacked by a shark, let's look at how you can avoid it all together. 

Stay close to shore. Play in the water in larger groups. Limit your splashing. Don't swim near schools of fish or seals. As long as you adhere to these "rules" of the water, your chances of being attacked by a shark go way down.

Shark sightings typically occur from mid-May into October when sharks visit the shorelines looking for food, aka seals. Chances of getting killed by a shark are very low although there have been two people killed since 2018. There have been more shark bites however which can lead to hospitalizations. 

So which beaches in Massachusetts are more prone to shark attacks? We've taken a look at analysis over the past 5 years and put together this list of the most shark infested beaches in the state. If you dare take a trip to any of these this summer, take extra precautions. Enjoy!

In 2019 there were 5 shark sightings here. It is consistently a popular beach for sharks to be seen although the amount of actual sharks seen here is quite low.

https://www.weneedavacation.com/Beach/High-Head-Truro/

Ballston Beach reported some shark sightings back in 2019 and is consistently an area of the Cape that sharks are seen. There were 6 sightings in 2019.

https://www.masslive.com/capecod/2019/07/ballston-beach-in-truro-to-reopen-after-great-white-shark-spotted-tuesday-morning.html

There were 7 shark sightings at Marconi Beach back in 2019 with more consistent sightings ever since.

https://www.wcvb.com/article/shark-sighting-confirmed-off-marconi-beach-in-wellfleet/28263815#:~:text=There%20was%20a%20confirmed%20sighting,seen%20in%20Cape%20Cod%20Bay.

There were 8 shark sightings back in 2019 and you can continue monitoring shark activity by using the "Sharktivity" app.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/sharks-cape-cod-trnd/index.html#:~:text=Longnook%20Beach%20in%20Truro%2C%20Massachusetts,close%20to%20shore%2C%20police%20said.&text=Sharks%20are%20pretty%20frequent%20vacationers,two%20days%20before%20this%20sighting.

There were 10 shark sightings back in 2019. Consistent shark sightings have been seen here based on the "Sharktivity" app.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/sharks-cape-cod-trnd/index.html#:~:text=Longnook%20Beach%20in%20Truro%2C%20Massachusetts,close%20to%20shore%2C%20police%20said.&text=Sharks%20are%20pretty%20frequent%20vacationers,two%20days%20before%20this%20sighting.

There were 12 sharks spotted here back in 2019. More were spotted as early as last year.

https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/08/cape-cod-shark-sighting-race-point-beach-temporarily-closed-when-shark-swims-close-to-shore.html

There were 12 sharks spotted here in 2019.

https://www.coastalneighborhoods.com/aunt-lydias-cove-chatham/

There were 13 sightings here in 2019. This included footage from a man who had gotten killed.

There were 16 shark sightings here in 2019. This beach is consistently boasting sightings of sharks including this one from 2022.

https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/06/28/cape-shark-sighting-closes-head-of-the-meadow-beach-to-swimming/#:~:text=June%2028%2C%202022%20at%201,White%20Shark%20Conservancy's%20Sharktivity%20app.

A whopping 27 sharks were spotted here in 2019.

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/shark-sightings-off-us-state-a-boon-for-tourism-591905

43 sharks were seen here in 2019! There were five seen in ONE day last year.

https://www.wcvb.com/article/5-shark-sightings-reported-in-one-day-off-coast-of-popular-cape-cod-beach/40572343#:~:text=ORLEANS%2C%20Mass.%20%E2%80%94,mid%2Dto%2Dlate%20morning.