Post by Zadkiel on Jun 14, 2016 9:54:34 GMT
One of the first pieces of information the prisoners at Alcatraz were told when they arrived is that the San Francisco Bay was full of dangerous sharks. The idea was to lessen the chance that the prisoners would want to attempt an escape since it would be too dangerous. This rumor spread and now many people think the SF Bay is full of deadly sharks.
One of the reasons that this myth stayed alive was that there are sharks in the bay. However, most of them are from species that are smaller and harmless. You will find sharks such as the North Pacific Spiny Dogfish, Broadnose Sevengill Shark and the Leopard Shark. You can see some of them up close in the Aquarium of the Bay on Pier 39.
That being stated, Great Whites do come into the bay from time to time, but are not that common. In fact, in October 2015, a great white was spotted eating a seal near Alcatraz Island. This was the first time a Great White had been spotted in the SF Bay in many, many years.
One of the reasons that this myth stayed alive was that there are sharks in the bay. However, most of them are from species that are smaller and harmless. You will find sharks such as the North Pacific Spiny Dogfish, Broadnose Sevengill Shark and the Leopard Shark. You can see some of them up close in the Aquarium of the Bay on Pier 39.
That being stated, Great Whites do come into the bay from time to time, but are not that common. In fact, in October 2015, a great white was spotted eating a seal near Alcatraz Island. This was the first time a Great White had been spotted in the SF Bay in many, many years.
