Two shark attacks on a Florida beach have sparked false rumors about the presence of orcas in the Gulf of Mexico. In reality, the cause is quite different. Specifically on June 7, three people were injured in two shark attacks off the coast of Walton County, between Destin and Panama City Beach. Among the victims were a 45-year-old woman who was bitten near Watersound Beach and two teenagers who were injured later, about four miles east of the first attack. The person responsible for all three attacks would have been a bull shark and the cause would be found in climate change.
What does climate change have to do with shark attacks
White sharks have recently been observed fleeing from killer whales that attempt to attack them, but what happened in Florida would have nothing to do with these animals. There cause of the attacks it is more likely to be traced back to human activities, as bull sharks feed near the shore. Bait fishing would attract them close to shore in search of food. The hot, dry climate in Florida may have caused a reduction in freshwater fish. The plankton and the fish then approach the shores and so the bull sharks also follow them in order to hunt them.
In general the water heating it is transforming the marine environment with alterations in the availability of nutrients and, consequently, migrations of fish species to areas different from their original habitats. Even in Australia, among the numerous marine animals that are moving there are some types of shark. A study along the coasts of New South Wales between 1950 and 2015 highlighted, for example, a greater abundance of tiger sharks when the average temperature of coastal waters reaches 22°C, that is, in summer. The warming of the water would make the areas near the shore perfect habitats for these large predators who, when the water is warm, will tend to move closer to the coast. Being able to anticipate the movements of these enormous predators is therefore fundamental from various points of view, both to prevent possible attacks on people and to preserve ecosystems and marine biodiversity.
The (discarded) hypothesis of killer whale involvement
Initially it was thought that the cause of the shark attacks to people was caused by the attacks of orcas on these large predators which, to escape, would have moved towards the shore. In reality, scientists have explained that the species of shark responsible for the attacks is already used to obtaining the food staying closer to the coast. In any case, it is true that orcas are seen more and more often in Florida but this probably happens due to ecotourism, that is, not because they have increased but simply because we tend to pay more attention to them.
There have always been orcas in Florida, only in recent years tourists they tend to photograph them more, also they usually target sharks when they are very far from the coast.
