Despite Series of Menacing Shark Attacks, Pictures Reveal Surfing Community in New Smyrna Beach Is Undeterred

One thing is to be said about humans, we are one resilient species. Sometimes we can be resilient to the point of being stubborn. This trait has helped us put our mark everywhere, from the deepest darkest depths of the ocean to the moon suspended high up in space. This characteristic manifests in our daily life as well. A perfect example is the surfing community of New Smyrna Beach.

In the past couple of weeks, there has been a slew of shark attacks on New Smyrna Beach goers. One would think that after going through the terrifying experience, the locals would take a break from surfing or other water-related activities. Well, that is not the case for the New Smyrna locals, who are navigating the unseen depths of the ocean despite the horrific news. An article revealed pictures of them out on the water. What is their motivation?

Locals brave popular surfing spot despite tragic news

Welcome to the “shark bite capital of the world”. Here shark sightings are common, shark bites are taken in stride, and surfing aficionados seem to be completely fearless. According to a recent report published by the Daytona Beach News-Journal, even after the back-to-back shark attacks, surfing is in full swing with surfers riding the short waves. The sharks, as usual, were present in the water as well. However, luckily, the waters were free from bull sharks, which are one of the most aggressive species. An interview with a local of New Smyrna Beach clarified the situation.

The 18-year-old Forrest Dowling just got done with a surfing session in the shark-infested water. He said, “It’s a pretty common thing here, like, you see sharks all the time. Shark attacks, though, I wouldn’t say it’s like an everyday thing.” Dowling is a student at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. As for the reason why the sharks might attack, Dowling gave a simple explanation. As per him, sharks are always looking for food, and because of their lack of forelimbs, they need to perform a taste test to see if humans are food or not. As Dowling said, “And sadly, people just end up in the way most of the time, just wrong place at the wrong time.”

Read more: Shark Attack at Popular Beach Raises Concern Among Swimmers as Authorities Take Decisive Action

And this phenomenon takes place a lot at New Smyrna Beach, unfortunately. In the present year alone, all of Volusia County’s shark attacks have taken place at New Smyrna Beach. The earliest one to fall prey to the sharp jaws was a 13-year-old girl in May, and the most recent one was a 48-year-old man in July. Both of them were lucky enough to escape with minor injuries. However, for 21-year-old Chris Popsisil, it was a bloodbath. A chunk of his foot was bitten off and his wound required 40 stitches. The locals are well aware of the blood-curdling statistics when it comes to sharks and New Smyrna. They, however, are undeterred.

The home of shark attacks

Known as the deadliest beach in the United States, New Smyrna Beach has been the venue for the most shark attacks since 2010. There have been 32 in total, a number more than double as compared to any other beach. These numbers, however, do not scare the locals, who seem to understand the sharks. They have learned to share the space with these majestic creatures, even though it might mean getting a nip, or two, or thirty-two. The 32-year-old local Dillon Smith got bitten by a shark when he was 17.

That has not stopped him from going surfing in the waters till now. Smith said, “A lot of them are small and not many of them are that aggressive, it’s kind of just, they’re there and you fall on them and they get scared and that’s what they use as their defense mechanism.” Ultimately, for the locals, the wish to go surfing or swimming trumps the risk of getting bitten. They have found that if they leave the sharks alone, they will probably not bite. Though it’s a risk they are willing to take.

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