Today is Shark Awareness Day. For many of us, the mere idea of sharks residing in our oceans sends chills up our spine + puts the sound of the Jaws theme in our ears. However, today serves as a reminder for us to stay educated on sharks’ importance in the wild. 🦈

Did you know that marine research organization OCEARCH tracks sharks across the globe as part of its mission to help maintain balance in the ecosystem? Since 2012, OCEARCH has tagged 416 sea creatures – mainly sharks – and uses their paths to collect data.

And, thanks to technology, we too can watch sharks swim across the world via OCEARCH’s mobile app.

OCEARCH mobile app | Photo by the CHStoday team

Sharks are tagged with small devices that transmit signals – referred to as “pings” – when their dorsal fins break the surface of the water.

When pings occur, the digital map automatically updates the shark’s new location. As you can see in the photo above, shark icons with glowing rings signify recent activity. Some sharks can stay below the surface for extended periods of time, so not all locations are up to date.

OCEARCH’s tagged shark Hal | Photo by the CHStoday team

By clicking a shark’s icon, its information + swimming path can be viewed. The most recent activity near Charleston comes from this white shark, Hal, who rose to the surface in May. He appears to be enjoying his stay + stuck around for some fireworks, as a Z-ping (a lower-signal ping that does not transmit complete data) came through on the Fourth of July.

OCEARCH’s tagged shark Hal’s swimming path | Photo by the CHStoday team

While the idea of sharks swimming around our waters can be intimidating, here are some facts that make them slightly less scary:

Humans are (usually) friends, not food

While SC is ranked number 3 for most shark attacks in the country over the last decade, the odds of getting attacked are only 1 in 738 million. Since 1837, there have been a total of 101 recorded shark attacks in the state – the only fatal one dating back to the mid-1800s.

Our sharks like to party

OCEARCH has three tagged great white sharks (named Miss Costa, White Shark Hal, + Grey Lady Shark) that they keep their eyes on. This year, OCEARCH reported that the sharks spent New Year’s Eve hanging out on the coast in CHS.

Charleston girls aren’t the only ones in scalloped attire

SC actually has its very own breed of shark. The Carolina Hammerhead is a shark that originated on our coast and is known for the defined scallop features on its head.