In the briny deep of the Outer Banks and waterways such as streams was a diversity of tropic and cool water life. This diversity’s attribution was in part to the Labrador Current and Gulf Stream. Displaying the diversity were the ocean’s sand tiger sharks and nettle jellyfish, the river’s largemouth bass and waterdog.
A number of sharks live in various habitats from North Carolina's estuaries to coastal waters. These include the sandbar, the most common one, sharpnose, blacktip, bull, and tiger.
Basking sharks and whale sharks are two of the largest sharks in the world. Observations of these two sharks confirm that they are members of the North Carolinian fish fauna.
In 1994, the North Carolina General Assembly established the Fishery Resource Grant program, which funds projects that test ways to preserve coastal resources. Dave Beresoff's project seeks ways to prevent sharks from getting tangled in commercial gill nets.
From 1982 to 1996, the Poor Boy Shark Tournament was held at Shallotte Point. These tournaments were popular because sharks were plentiful, good sport, and good to eat. However, two things ended the tournament in 1996. First, because sharks were being overfished, there were plans to limit size and catch; and secondly, other fishing tournaments began to offer larger money prizes.
Sharks inspire admiration and fear. Off Morehead City, Cape Hatteras, and in other waters, a photographer, a biologist, and a fisherman meet the shark in his own element.
On July 20, 1995, an adult male reef shark was caught approximately one kilometer east of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The capture afforded the first documented data for this type of shark and indicated a range extension north of Florida waters.
Countering the appeal of Jaws, the latest film beast offering chills, thrills, and spills, was Stanley’s story of the great white hog. It proved that these triple attraction factors were not necessary to generate a tantalizing tale.
Although the word ‘shark’ might spark some panic in some but of the 250 different species of shark, only about a dozen have been involved in the encounters with humans.