Throwback Thursday: Cape Fear shark sightings through the years during Shark Week

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — In honor of Shark Week, this week’s edition of Throwback Thursday takes a look back at three times sharks made headlines along the Cape Fear coast.

The segment revisits reports from the WWAY archives spanning more than a decade, highlighting how shark sightings affected local beaches and communities.

The first story comes from August 1983, when sharks spotted off Wrightsville Beach caused some beachgoers to stay on shore.

“They’re not my favorite type of pets, that’s for sure,” one beachgoer said. “We’ve seen ’em off of the pier for the last couple of days, and we haven’t gone in the water because of ’em.”

A local marine biologist explained that sharks often swim close to shore while searching for food or favorable water conditions, but advised swimmers to remain out of the water until the animals moved on.

One year later, in August 1984, shark sightings at Carolina Beach prompted officials to temporarily keep swimmers out of the ocean.

“They’ll just cruise up and down the beach, and then they may disappear and they’ll come back,” one lifeguard said. “But we’re keeping everybody out, and hopefully they’ll be gone tomorrow.”

Experts advised anyone who encounters a shark to stay calm, avoid excessive splashing and quietly leave the water.

The final story takes viewers to Ocean Isle Beach in July 1994, where a 10-foot tiger shark escaped while being towed to shore after being caught.

The shark swam near jet ski rental businesses and beachgoers before a group of locals tracked it down and shot it.

When asked what happened to the shark, one man replied, “I figure about 6:00 he’s gonna be in somebody’s stomach, ’cause we’re gonna eat him.”

The segment is part of a weekly Throwback Thursday series that features stories from WWAY’s historical news archives. That archive can be accessed here.