The Honolulu Advertiser is reporting a serious shark attack off Bellows Beach, an extremely popular and lovely beach in Windward Oahu. I've mentioned Bellows before as a hidden gem and a great shady beach for late afternoons. Shark attacks off these beaches, however, have been rare. I can't recall the last serious attack off Lanikai -- it is likely over a decade. The shark was apparently only 6-to-10 feet long but that's an initial report. The victim was stabilized on the beach and is in serious but stable condition. Neighborhing Waimanalo and Lanikai Beaches were evacuated. Lanikai is one of the most popular beaches in Hawaii and considered by many to be among the best beaches in the world. I'd wager this attack was a young tiger taking a nibble out of someone. The bite was on the calf so it seems unlikely the shark was taking a serious chomp. That said, a nibble from a juvenile tiger is still life threatening -- obviously. A word to all the shark phobic. You are vastly more likely to get mowed down by a drunk driver than suffer, let alone die from, a shark bite. Deaths from shark bites in Hawaii rarely number more than one per year and often number zero for multiple years.

Image via Florida Museum of Natural History

—Alex, 07/19/07