Going to the Beach This Summer? Keep an Eye Out for Sharks

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Vacation season is here and if you're heading to the beach in Texas or Alabama, you better keep an eye out for sharks!

You may think I'm joking, but I'm being serious. Not only have sharks been seen off of the coast of Louisiana, but they've also been seen circling the beaches of Alabama and Texas. Say what?!?! In fact, there are five beaches in Texas that have had more shark attacks than the rest and they're super popular with tourists. So if you plan to go to Galveston Beach, South Padre Island, Mustang Island/Port Aransas, Surfside Beach, or Pirates Beach, you better keep your eyes open. In fact, Texas ranks sixth when it comes to the number of unprovoked shark attacks in the United States with over forty on record!!!

Check out this 10-foot Hammerhead shark that was spotted in the shallows off San Luis Pass in Galveston, TX recently.

@fishingngigging This was unexpected lol Will you still go swimming here? 😅 #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #fishtok #shark #hammerhead #fishing #galveston #sanluispass ♬ original sound - Jason Schilling

If that monster scared you, you won't believe what a drone caught off of the coast of Orange Beach in Alabama just last month. At one point, this shark was literally feet away from swimmers. Check it out.

Orange Beach, AL is a favorite vacation destination for folks from Louisiana and Alabama is 11th on the list for shark attacks in the U.S. And if you've been to that area, you know it's right next to Florida, which is #1 on the list. I'm not trying to scare anyone, but there have been 471 people who have been bitten by sharks and 8 fatalities in the U.S. between 2012 - 2021. I'm just saying, you should keep your eyes open.

There are 50 species of sharks found in the Gulf of Mexico. Thankfully, most of them are small. Just know, the majority of them are spotted in June. You have been warned!

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.