Source: Nat Geo
National Geographic offers an in-depth look at America’s fear of sharks, rooted in a history of attacks that remain too prominent in the minds of beach-goers today.
During the early 20th century, a series of attacks along the East Coast brought to ‘question’ whether sharks were actually man-eating beasts, and even after a number of people had died from being eaten alive or bleeding to death from shark attacks, others remained skeptical.
If was during these years that going to the beach became a popular pass-time and thousands of Americans made more time to enjoy beach days; it was also during this time that people finally became exposed to sharks as a true danger after several attacks, as the likelihood of attacks increased with the number of beach-goers.
A number of films banked on America’s fear of the water beast, including the famous 1975 drama film, Jaws. Despite the unlikelihood of shark attacks, America’s fear persists.
Learn more about human impact on sharks. #Sharkweek
Read full story at: Nat Geo