ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (WKRG) — A double red flag warning was posted for the City of Orange Beach due to the dangerously high number of sharks in the area.
The warnings were posted at two places east of Alabama Point, to close these beaches for recreation.
“Hopefully once people stop throwing their fish carcasses into the water, they may not be swimming in such numbers that close to the beach,” said Melvin Shepard.
CBS affiliate WKRG took a helicopter up and spotted between 100 and 150 sharks grouped together near the pass.
The kinds of sharks has not been determined yet. One boater said they are Mako sharks, which are very common in the Gulf waters.
Many swimmers have not heeded the double flag warning and could be seen playing in the water.
Orange Beach authorities continue to monitor the situation.
Most of the time, sharks tend to stay away from humans, only feeding on fish, and other sea life but there have been a number of attacks along the Gulf coast.One of the most remembered attacks happened in 2001, when Jessie Arbogast was attacked. The shark ripped into the young boy at the Gulf Islands National Seashore. His story made national headlines as his uncle wrestled the shark to free Jessie.
Jessie survived, but is now confined to a wheel chair and suffers permanent brain damage.
