Smartypants

Q: Are there sharks in the sound?

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A: Yes, sharks chill in the Pamlico Sound, but if you hear the unmistakable “duuuuuuh-dun” from Jaws at the mere mention of sharks, try not to worry; sharks really aren’t interested in dining on humans. When sharks go in sounds they are usually just passing through, but some use sounds as a nursery habitat and may stick around for months.

Ocearch tags and tracks sharks all over the planet and has an interactive map so anyone can follow them and see where they traverse! The Outer Banks is a hotspot for shark activity, leading me to believe even sharks know a great place when they see it. Ocearch gives sharks cutesy names like Fritz, Lexi, and Crystal (all tiger sharks) and Hudson and Mary Lee (both white sharks), just to name a few. All of the sharks listed “pinged” around the Outer Banks last summer, but not very often. Doesn’t that make you feel better?

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The North Carolina Sea Grant Coastwatch program, through N.C. State, lists the Atlantic sharpnose shark, Blacktip shark, Bonnethead shark (such a sweet name!), Bull shark, and Smoothhound shark as the species most likely to be seen doing sharky things in North Carolina sounds.