VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Some sea creatures are easy to spot, while others are not—like sharks.
Beachgoers who are interested in knowing where the animals are, whether to avoid them or to learn more about them might notice more sharks pinging on shark tracking apps this summer.
But researchers say that doesn't necessarily mean there are more sharks.
"There's a lot of tagging going on in particular with great whites, they're also doing sand tigers and other species of sharks too, but yeah, every once in a while, you hear about a great white pinging off the coast here," said Skylar Snowden, senior curator of fishes, invertebrates and herpetology at the Virginia Aquarium.
Snowden added Virginia beachgoers can rest easy, sharks rarely attack humans unprovoked. The last fatal attack in Virginia Beach was more than two decades ago and many sharks, like the sandbar shark, only eat fish.
"Generally nothing to worry about," said Snowden.
Most people News 3's Erika Craven spoke with said they prefer to not see what's under the water.
"I'm going to say 'no' because I was going to say 'in a submarine I could, but I would have too much claustrophobia'," laughed Jackie Maxie, a beachgoer.
Roughly 80 species of shark are found off Virginia's coast.
They're so resilient and so much more intelligent than anyone gives them credit for," said Snowden. "As it warms up in particular, you'll see more of the species that typically migrate up and down the coast, like the sand tiger sharks."
For those looking to turn fear into fascination, the Virginia Aquarium offers behind-the-scenes tours to learn about Virginia's sharks.
