Believe it or not, sharks often visit the Chesapeake’s warm waters in search of food. Most common is the sandbar, one of the most wide-ranging coastal sharks in the world. For this species, the lower Bay is a significant nursery area.

Dark on top and pale underneath, with a ridge between its two dorsal fins, an adult sandbar may be 8 feet long. Often found in shallow coastal waters, they are active at night, dawn and dusk.

While bill, hammerhead and dogfish sharks are also found in the Bay, there is no cause for alarm: There has never been a recorded shark attack in Maryland waters – including the Bay.