Floridian surfer Lindsey Baldwin was just trying to test out her old GoPro…
Baldwin’s three-year-old daughter was just starting to get into surfing, and Baldwin wanted to make sure her old GoPro worked so that she could use it to capture videos of her little girl catching some waves.
She took it out for a ride in New Smyrna Beach to check the quality of the camera and she happened upon three sharks in the water…YIKES!
Luckily, Baldwin is an expert. She’s been surfing since she was five! She was able to stay calm and safely maneuver her surfboard around the oceanic predators.
“I was holding it and then I kind of saw that first shark off to the right so you can see in the video, I sort of cut back to the left,” Baldwin told Fox 35 Orlando.
After avoiding shark #1, another shark appeared! So she exercised proper social-distancing etiquette and cut back to the right, giving the shark wide berth.
And then shark #3 appeared! This shark was the biggest of the little group. Baldwin kept her distance and kept riding the wave to shore.
This was only the first wave of her trip. She went out again right afterward!
Baldwin was completely unshaken by her experience. The beach gets a lot of sharks this time of year.
“We see them a lot when the water temperature changes, which the water’s been so warm, and we’re just starting to get that hink of cooler water moving hin because of the upwelling, so I think that’s kind of why they were right on cue,” Baldwin said.
We’re just glad she didn’t have her three-year-old daughter with her! Little Baldwin will definitely have enough time to play with sharks in the future when she gets a little older.
In the meantime, Lindsey Baldwin wants to replace her GoPro so she can capture better quality videos.
Water temps fluctuating and beach friends showing up! That 3rd one was not small 😬 #NSB #SharkWeek @clairemetzwesh @StephanieAbrams pic.twitter.com/qP0Fc15oXv
— Lindsey Baldwin (@LindseyBNsb) July 9, 2020
So what do you do if you see a shark at the beach?
Sharks are pretty scary, especially if you aren’t experienced with them the way Baldwin is. Random shark encounters make for excellent vacation stories, but you need to get back safely in order to tell it! Here are a few tips you can remember during an encounter that will keep you safe when you’re near a shark.
1) Stay calm
This seems pretty obvious, but it’s probably the most important tip to keep in mind. Remember that you are not a fish, and therefore are not Shark Bait.
2) Don’t splash
Splashing makes you look like a distressed animal and attracts unwanted attention to you. So keep you splashing to a minimum as you move away from the big guy.
3) Get to safety
While remaining calm and avoiding large splashes, move towards the shore. Keep the shark in your line of sight as you do so. You’ll want to make sure that you don’t accidentally swim towards the danger if it starts moving around.
When you get back safely, it’s time to celebrate!
Congrats! You just saw a wild shark, that’s pretty cool! You now have a fun vacation story and you tested out your survival skills. You’ll earn some cool points with your friends and family and you may even get interviewed for Shark Week.
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