Are there sharks in Perdido Key?

Sharks are a normal part of the Gulf ecosystem and are almost always offshore of swimmers. Unprovoked bites on the Gulf Coast are very rare and very rarely serious. You're far more likely to get hurt by a rip current or sunburn than by a shark.

• Avoid swimming at dawn and dusk, when sharks feed closest to shore.
• Stay out of the water near people fishing, bait pods, or diving birds.
• Don't wear shiny jewelry, which can flash like fish scales.
• Swim in groups and stay closer to shore.

Warm months bring more of everything closer to shore — bait, birds, and the sharks that follow the bait. Late summer and early fall, when the water is warmest and the mullet and menhaden are schooling along the beach, is when small blacktips and spinners get spotted from piers and balconies. Seeing one from the sand is common and a little thrilling. Being bothered by one while swimming is not — they're chasing fish, and people are neither food nor interesting.

Don't splash and sprint. Calmly walk or swim toward shore, keep it in view if you can, and get out. Tell the people near you and, if there's a guard or beach patrol, tell them. Most sightings end with the shark continuing on down the beach and everyone back in the water in twenty minutes. Purple flags fly for dangerous marine life in general — usually jellyfish — and are on Beach Today along with the surf flag.