Sharks are the most fearsome creatures in the seas, that is, according to movies like Jaws, 47 Meters Down, and the spoof movie Sharknado.  But not all sharks are dangerous.  In fact, only 3-4 percent of the 375 species of sharks are particularly considered dangerous.

Summer White, a sophomore at Liberty, turned 16 during July of 2017.  To celebrate, her parents and sister took her to the island of Nassau in the Bahamas where a major event of the trip was a shark biting her hand.  

“It was just for vacation and it was my birthday.  It was something we had wanted to do for a while,” White said. 

About a week into the trip, White and her family took a boat to a private island on the outskirts of the Bahamas.  On the first island, White was participating in feeding grapes to the wild iguanas when one bit her finger.  No serious injury, no serious problem.

On the next island the White family went to that day, there were stingrays to feed in the shallows.  Although there were sharks in the water, the employees told people there was no danger getting in the water to feed the stingrays and the sharks wouldn’t bother them.  

When she lowered her hand into the water with fish for the stingray, a 4 foot lemon shark swam by, biting her in the process of eating the food out of her hand and then swam away.  The most likely reason White was bitten was because the sharks could smell the iguana bite from the first island.

“At first, to be honest, people say they don’t necessarily feel the bite because it’s so painful.  But at first I thought it was a stingray taking a pretty powerful chomp and I lifted my hand out of the water and I realized it was a shark,” White said.  

It was an hour ride back to Nassau and the hospital where White received 12 stitches in her index finger.

However, don’t be fooled by what you just read.  The shark that bit White simply wanted the food from her hand and in fact, most sharks don’t like the taste of humans.  White loves sharks and loves them still, despite being bit by one.

“Sharks are probably one of my favorite animals and they still always will be,” she said. “Now, they’re a bit more special to me, of course.  Most people think I would hate sharks after this, but I still love sharks and have a deep appreciation for them.”

White and her family are now able to joke about the accident since her love of sharks still remains.  

Even her sweet 16 party after coming home was a shark-themed celebration.  

Although White is still recovering from the incident, she has said many times she wants this to be a lesson to people.  Even though she was bit by a shark, she doesn’t hate or fear them, she loves them and hopes other people can learn not to fear them, but love them too.