[CINC] shark attack statistics vs Halloween

[Paul Jr. Petrich]

Ocean and beach enthusiasts,   Saturday night I witnessed a sick take on the recent tragic shark attack on a UCSB student as a Halloween shark costume showed up at a Halloween party I attended. Hopefully, such was not the case with the trick or treat costumes that showed up at your doors? Last week, Peter Howorth, in the Santa Barbara News Press, presented the real statistics about shark attacks along the Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo coastline that should clarify the real dangers swimmers face along our most common beaches.     Ventura County boasts only two shark attacks from 1900 to the present. The first of these attacks was on a scuba diver on the back side of San Nicolas Island in 1992, Another attack was on a swimmer near Faria Beach in 2007. Both attacks resulted in minor foot injuries. The identity of the type of sharks remains unknown.    In Santa Barbara County, no one has ever been attacked south of Gaviota (really east of Gaviota) where Pacific Coast Highway turns inland toward Buellton. Ten confirmed attacks in Santa Barbara County since 1900 have occurred in more remote locations, where pinnipeds are numerous. Pinnipeds are a favorite food for White Sharks. Four of these attacks took place off Castle Rock at San Miguel Island, the Channel Island farthest northwest. The other six attacks, including this last tragic attack at Surf Beach, occurred in an area stretching from near Point Conception north to Purisima Point, inside Vandenberg Air Force Base. These northern beaches of more remote Santa Barbara County are the only mainland shores in the county where shark attacks have occurred.    San Luis Obispo County has recorded six confirmed shark attacks, and maybe eight. All these attacks occurred from Pismo Beach to Morro Rock in Morro Bay. Pinnipeds are very common in these areas as well. As stated by Peter, "All in all, the coast of the tricounties (for swimming) is pretty safe-certainly more so than the freeway."  I might add, certainly safer for kids than trick-or-treating on Halloween, when they become traffic accident casualties at over twice their average rate.  Keeping myth at bay, Paul.    P.S. The real danger of poisoned candy being given to kids on Halloween by strangers is as bogus a myth as is the real danger to them from sharks in our local beach waters. The two substantiated deaths from such a deed, were later confirmed to be family cases of murder. All others proved to be pranks that imaginative kids perpetuated for the media, or hoaxes perpetuated by adults for the same reason..     
 		 	   		  
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