NORTH CAROLINA -- The seven shark attacks in less than three weeks on coastal South and North Carolina beaches have local vacationers thinking twice about their holiday travels to the beach.
"All these folks did is go down to have the same fun we're going down to have and it ended in tragedy," said Chesterfield resident Bryan Waits.
Waits is gearing up for a fun-filled Fourth of July weekend with his girlfriend and grandchildren in the Outer Banks.
"We don't want to panic but we do need to be diligent, making sure the children are always safe and the only way to do that is stay with them in the water or use the pool," said Waits.
Since June 11, an 8-year-old child, several teenagers and adults up and down the Carolina coast have been injured in shark attacks, some losing limbs.
"In such a short period of time, this is something that is interesting," said Beth Firchau, Senior Curator with the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center.
Firchau survived a shark bite herself in 2007 , after entering into a shark tank at the Virginia Aquarium. She says although the spike in attacks is interesting, it's still uncommon.
"With the millions of people that come and visit and spend time and have no problem what so ever at the beach, this is still a very rare thing and we need to keep that in perspective," said Firchau. "When you go to the beach you need to remember we're not going into our families pool or community pool, you're going into a place that's very, very wild and it has critters in there that's making their living as best they can and they're in close proximity to you.
"Sharks are in our oceans and they're a very important part of our ecosystem they are like the lions of the Serengeti, they keep everybody on track," stated Firchau.
Experts suggest you always swim in a group, and emphasized that where and when people swim in the ocean is also important.
"Don't swim early in the morning and late at night alone," said Firchau. "Those are the times I call the 'ocean rush hour,' where critters are out looking for their dinner or looking for their breakfast."
"Swimming in areas where fishing is taking place is something you need to be aware of and I would focus on areas where lifeguards are present and knowing your limits," added Firchau. "We are spending more time at the beaches, so we are entering their environment at higher numbers, but statistically it is still a safe place to be."
But for vacationer Waits, he's sticking to making a splash in the pool and not going any further than the sand with his grandkids.
"I don't want them going in the water," he said. "Let's get a bucket and some shovels and play in the sand."
