Shark fears on NC coast put to rest

FORT MACON, N.C. -- A large school of sharks swimming off the North Carolina coast stirred up enough fear to keep some people at the beach out of the water. But the News & Observer of Raleigh reported that the sharks seen Wednesday in the water off Fort Macon State Park are harmless and not unusual. An official at the North Carolina Aquarium said the sharks are most likely blacktip or a combination of blacktip and blacknose sharks, common along the coast. Blacktip sharks weigh less than a hundred pounds and are about four to six feet long. They have no appetite for surfers or swimmers, though, and prefer to feed on Spanish mackerel and bluefish. The sharks were swimming in clear water ten feet deep or less, making them easier to spot. (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)