A shark has been swimming right up to people's beachfront homes in an otherwise idyllic Florida town.
"We're gonna need a bigger fence."(via NBC-2)
You take certain risks when you live near the beach—hurricanes, tidal waves, the cutthroat local taffy-pullers union. Sharks generally aren't a problem unless you swim out really far, or if you live in the town from Jaws. Or if you live in Bonita Springs, Florida.
The city's Hickory Avenue is lined with condos that jut up right next to a calm backwater bay. Residents can dip their toes into the ocean or go for a swim, except they shouldn't do that anymore because an eight-foot-long bull shark has been trolling the bay. Residents claim that no-good, lousy fisherman have been "chumming"—throwing fish guts into the water nearby to attract bigger fish. Hickory Avenue residents asked the city to tell people to stop throwing fish guts into the water, on account of the shark, so did the city post some "no fishing" signs and drag the shark away in fin-cuffs?
Nope. A representative for Bonita Springs told beachfront property owners to call the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission with their concerns, because the coastline is the agency's jurisdiction. But residents shouldn't get their hopes up about the shark going away anytime soon, because it's perfectly legal to chum on the beach in Florida.
Florida: Where You Can Throw Fish Guts in the Water and Have a Shark in Your Backyard!