Land Sharks
| It was the biggest weekend of the summer on the grand strand, but the beach was empty. Not one umbrella could be seen. Fearsome sharks had taken up residence at the ocean's edge. Known as "Land Sharks", the critters had created a ghost town from what was once the most popular seacoast vacation spot in the Carolinas. Thousands of dorsal fins replaced the bobbing heads of bathers along a hundred-mile stretch of beach. The sharks could not only swim, but were capable of maneuvering their way onto the beach to lie in ambush, partially covered with sand. No one knew for sure where they came from, but the popular consensus was perhaps from an inland sea on the other side of the ocean, maybe Africa. They first appeared after a tropical storm had devastated the beach resort. They weren't as large as the man-eating sharks we know about, but were big enough to take a chunk out of an arm or a leg. At first, small dogs and house pets disappeared. Then a horde of bloody victims filled emergency rooms with bites and missing extremities. A reign of terror and panic gulped the beach resort. A rumor quickly spread that an infant on a beach blanket was dragged into the ocean by a golden shark. The mother went berserk when her first born disappeared into the frothing surf. Satellite photos, heat-seeking laser equipment and mine detectors could not locate the stealth like "Land Sharks." Flat tires were a common occurrence anytime a four wheel drive Humvee or military style jeep ventured onto the sand. One beach buggy received four flats as it topped a dune near the old Pavilion. "Sandwacking Land Sharks" had learned to disable beach vehicles by nipping at the side walls as they rolled by. Fearing a shark attack, the patrolling officers leapt from the buggy and make a mad dash across the barren sands to the safety of the boardwalk. A few days before the Labor Day Weekend, the once bustling beach community was hit with another horrific event. A thunderstorm dropped twenty-four inches of rain in less than two hours. Streets and shops were filled with water and fins of cruising sharks were seen on the main street. Over time, the water receded and the sharks returned to their stronghold on the still very deserted beach. The town hired a New England firm that specialized in exterminating sharks. The company was owned and operated by the son of the immortal shark fisherman, Captain Quint. You may recall that Capt. Quint was the "old salt" who died while attempting to rid the mythical town of Amity from a bothersome great white shark. The young Quint had never seen anything like this. His experience had let him to tackle one big shark at a time, not thousands of the toothy critters. Quint was walking the boardwalk when he noticed a youngster sitting atop a sand dune. Apparently he had wondered away from his parents and was playing with some small objects in the sand. Fearing for the boy's life, Quint ran to his aide. There, he noticed humps in the sand that indicated the presence of "Land Sharks." To his surprise, the sharks were fortunately quite distanced from the dune top and he was able to sweep the child to safety. The boy's play things gave Quint an idea that put his shark eradication plan into action. The following day, thousands of trucks dumped their cargo on the sand dunes at high tide. When the tide receded, the piles disappeared. The dump trucks returned to leave load after load at each high tide. The truck parade continued for days. In mid September, the young Quint called a press conference. He announced that the "Land Sharks" were gone and that it was safe to use the beach again. During the question and answer portion of the conference, Quint was asked. "What was in the dump trucks?" His response was, "The dump trucks were unloading what the little boy was playing with, only many more of them." "And what was that?" His reply was, "Hermit Crabs." It seems that the millions of feisty little crabs, when set loose, nipped and bit the sandy hides of the "Land Sharks", much the same way that mosquitoes aggravate humans. It because so unbearable for them that eventually they left the beach. They never returned. Next time you swim at the beach, you can thank a Hermit Crab. Be reminded that small fish have......large tales! Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association and a full time Professional Fishing Guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his web site, Fishin' with Gus! at http://www.fishingwithgus.com/ or call 704 617 6812. For additional information, e-mail him at Gus@LakeNorman.com. |
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| January 2006 |