Blog > How Dangerous is The Ocean in Vero Beach
If you are planning to move to Florida and wondering how dangerous the ocean in Vero Beach is, you need to watch this video for more information.
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Sharks, alligators, man-o-war, OH MY! It’s all visions of suntans, sand and surf until you encounter some sea life!
Hey guys, welcome to the channel, or back to the channel. I’m Tonya, and this is my hunky beach boy, Zac. We have a great Real Estate team here in Vero Beach, Sebastian, and the surrounding area. As much as we love making these videos, we would love it, even more, to be your trusted advisors whether buying or selling real estate here in the Sunshine State. Make sure you watch till the end…and with that being said, let’s dive in!
Make sure you watch the whole video. You’re not going to want to miss danger number 3!
Ahh, the beach, paradise, for some, this is as close to heaven as it gets.
Just imagine, you look around and see sand, seashells, palm trees, and that beautiful aqua-colored water, but little do you know, there are dangers you can’t see lurking in the shadows and hiding beneath the surface of the water, waiting for you as you unexpectedly frolic ever deeper, and then….
Oh, stop it! It’s nothing like that! Well, not really, but it’s a common concern for many people who are moving to Florida. They’ve seen Jaws, the movie, they’ve heard stories about shark attacks, or social media post memes with alligators swimming in the surf, and they naturally want to know if they should really be scared.
A couple of the most asked questions that we get are, ‘Are there sharks in the water….or do alligators swim in the ocean?’. They want to know, how dangerous is the ocean in Vero Beach? Well, to answer that, let’s first take a look at what kind of wildlife we do have here in the ocean…more specifically, the ones that could potentially be a danger. And they are;
Sharks, alligators, barracuda, stingrays, pufferfish, lionfish, jellyfish, man-o-war…..piranha…
we do not have piranha here! But yes, there are alligators that sometimes swim in the ocean as well as water moccasins! We’re probably missing a few, but you get the idea.
I know one we missed…..the Goliath Grouper……they can grow big enough to eat a human.
Ok, so now that you know that there are some potentially dangerous creatures in the water, you’re probably thinking to yourself, I’m not going in there. Or maybe you just don’t care, and you’re going in the water no matter what’s in there. The thing is, the ocean is their home.
That’s where they live, and you either go in knowing that or don’t go in at all.
So, the 1st thing to look at when answering the question, “How Dangerous is the Ocean in Vero Beach?”, is the time of day that most activity is happening. We’re talking about living things here and all living things need to eat. Take the Shark, for instance, they follow a feeding schedule just like we do. They’re most active at dusk and dawn, but will definitely eat any time of the day if presented with a tasty meal, and if they are hungry, hmmm, sounds just like me!
Alligators also usually eat during dusk or during the nighttime, so not much to worry about there unless you’re going out for a nighttime swim….and even then, it’s pretty rare to see an alligator in the ocean.
But what about jellyfish and man-o-war? I’m not so sure they follow a feeding schedule, but you can usually see them in the water. If you’ve ever been to the beach in Florida, you’ve probably seen those things that look like half-blown-up purple ziplock baggies laying on the sand. Those are man-o-war, and their sting can be painful. Recently, the Portuguese species of man-o-war have been showing up on Florida beaches, and they are the most toxic. Apparently, they’re really painful when you get stung. The good news is that they’re not deadly to humans unless you have an allergic reaction to the toxin.
The best thing to do is stay away from them if you see them on the beach, and it would be a good idea to stay out of the water too. According to experts, if you do get stung by a toxic man-o-war, remove any tentacles by scraping the skin with a credit card, rinse the sting with vinegar and put hot water or a hot pack on for approximately 45 minutes. Another way to do it is to pee on it.
So the 2nd thing to consider when asking “How Dangerous is the Ocean in Vero Beach?” is what does the water look like? Is the surface calm or do you see bubbling and fish action? Is it clear or is it murky and is there a bunch of seaweed? Are there a lot of people fishing or cast netting?
So basically, if you see a bunch of little baitfish swimming in the water, breaking the surface of the water, that means that there are bigger fish there too. They want to eat the little fish and then there are even bigger fish who want to eat those fish. So it’s probably a good idea to stay out of the water when you see that. You don’t want to be mistaken as easy prey. Another good indicator that there are baitfish in the water is if you see people on the beach with cast nets actually catching them. If you see people catching fish on rods and reels well, then you know that there are bigger fish in the water too.
Sometimes you’ll see spinner sharks in the water. They jump out of the water and spin…I don’t go in the water when I see them. The same goes for seaweed. If there’s a lot of seaweed, that means that there are little crabs and shrimp on the seaweed, which little fish feed on, and well, you get the idea.
Murky water….It’s argued that it isn’t really a factor, but it’s also argued that sharks are more prevalent in murky waters. I’m not an expert on sharks, so I can’t really speak on it, but I’m not a huge fan of swimming in the ocean when the water is churned up and murky, it’s just spooky for me.
Yeah me too, but we’ve done it in our 15 years together.
Yes, we have, we’ve also swam at night. Remember that time when we were in St. Pete? We were having a nice swim at night? There was that stuff that glows when you move the water, Bioluminescence, and all of a sudden, you could see something cut through it. This path of light coming right at us, really fast. I don’t think we’ve moved that fast, ever again.
That was scary…
The 3rd and most dangerous thing to consider when asking “How Dangerous is the Ocean in Vero Beach?” doesn’t have anything to do with sharks, gators, or any other living thing. Can you guess what it is? Well, if you said rip currents…you got it right! Rip currents are narrow channels of fast-moving water that move away from the shore and into the ocean, and they are very dangerous.
Florida has the highest death rate caused by rip currents than any other state. In 2021 there were 28 recorded unprovoked shark bites, but there were no fatalities and from what I found, there were 7 people who died from getting caught in rip currents in Florida 2021. So, since this is such a big deal, especially for unsuspecting people who are visiting Florida, going to the beach, and jumping in the water just wanting to have fun, I want to share with you what a rip current looks like, and what to do if you get caught in one.
You can usually spot a rip current when you see the movement of the water. You might see some white water or what looks like a fast-moving narrow river heading away from the shore…
If you get caught in one, don’t try to swim against the current. Instead, swim perpendicular to the current, parallel with the shore until you’re out of the current. If you’re tired, then turn around on your back, ride the current until you’re able to escape on either side and then swim to shore.
Panic is the biggest threat if you get caught in one, so try to stay calm.
If you do go to the beach, I recommend visiting one that has a lifeguard on duty. If so, they will have a chalkboard with the conditions and the type of active sea life present at the current time. There will also be different colored flags displayed that represent the current surf conditions.
Yes, that’s great advice.
So, there you have it. Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed this video and you’ve learned that, even though Florida’s oceans can be dangerous at times, they’re absolutely beautiful and so much fun to enjoy.
The beach is one of the main reasons why people want to move here, and with a little knowledge and preparation, your trip to the beach here in Vero will be filled with sun, fun, and lots of great memories.
Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you on our next video!
Also read: Today’s Home Price Appreciation Is Great News for Existing Homeowners
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