Wildlife Expert Galante Shares Essential Safety Tips for Shark Week Viewers Heading to the Beach

As “Shark Week” returns to television, wildlife biologist and conservationist Forrest Galante is urging beachgoers to take sensible precautions to minimize their already minimal risk of shark encounters. The Discovery Channel host recently discussed shark behavior and safety measures during an appearance on OutKick Outdoors, emphasizing that education and common sense are the most effective tools for avoiding negative interactions with ocean predators.

Galante recommends avoiding water during dawn and dusk hours, when sharks are most active and feed closest to shore. He also cautions against swimming near river mouths, where sharks congregate to feed on attracted baitfish and other food sources. Additionally, beachgoers should avoid swimming alone and should stay away from areas where fishing activity occurs, as bait in the water naturally draws sharks to the vicinity.

The expert warns that wearing shiny items such as jewelry or sequins can resemble schools of baitfish to sharks, potentially triggering investigative behavior. Galante notes that approximately 99 percent of shark bites result from cases of mistaken identity, with sharks using investigative bites to determine whether objects are food. Since sharks lack hands and cannot feel objects, these investigative bites can cause severe or fatal injuries.

Unexpectedly, even sound plays a role in attracting sharks. The crackling of water bottles or the crunching of beer cans resembles the sound of crunching fish bones, which can draw sharks to investigate. Galante stresses that sharks are not actively hunting humans and that following basic safety guidelines significantly reduces already slim encounter risks.

Galante’s latest Discovery special, “Alien Sharks: Untamed America,” premieres Wednesday on Discovery and Max. The program follows the biologist across the United States as he documents unusual shark species inhabiting American waters, including glow-in-the-dark swell sharks, bonnethead sharks that consume seagrass, massive basking sharks, and sawfish resembling creatures from science fiction films.