A woman suffered what is believed to be a shark bite at Hilton Head Island on Monday.
Shark bites are extremely rare on the island. According to the NY Post, the woman quickly left the water under her own power, and the bleeding wound was quickly managed. Regardless, the event was certainly shocking. Shark encounters on the South Carolina shore are very rare.
While the bite was classified as a "likely shark bite," it marks the first official shark bite of the year on Hilton Head Island. Earlier this beach season, there was another incident in which a shark bite may have been to blame for an injury, but nothing was confirmed.
The bite took place in the waters at Sea Pine Resort, a hotel on the island's south shore. Interestingly enough, a 60-year-old man was standing in the waters on the same beach last summer when his foot was bitten by a shark. Again, the injuries were not life-threatening.
Rare Shark Bite Confirmed At Popular Hilton Head Island
While shark bites at Hilton Head Island are rare, they are not entirely uncommon. A lifeguard was bitten on the chest in 2021 while checking water conditions. Again, the lifeguard survived the bite.
Monday's bite may be a sign of more of what is to come, experts warn. Booming populations of bait fish around the island have drawn more and more sharks toward the shores. Moreover, when excited beachgoers find their way into a feeding frenzy, the chances of shark bites rise exponentially. Experts make clear that sharks, while apex predators of our oceans, do not mean to target humans. Rather, most bites are accidental in nature.
Regardless of the how or why, the rise in shark encounters around Hilton Head has drawn attention. With stories of encounters and bites across popular beaches around the US this summer, Monday's Hilton Head bite feels like more of the same for beachgoers far and wide. From Texas, to Alabama, Florida, and New York, sharks have seemingly become the talk of summer 2024.
