Heard on the radio that on some beach in Maui, they are posting permanent signs about the danger of shark attacks. We are going soon. Does anyone know where it is or if there is a real problem?

go to mauinews.com - in the this week in review section there are a couple of articles about it.

The Honolulu star Bulletin (see story at web site below) reports that the State of Hawaii planned to post shark warning signs at Olowalu in West maui.

http://starbulletin.com/2002/01/24/news/story4.html

What are they warning the sharks about?

I have snorkeled and been swimming ALL OVER Hawaii and the caribbean - I have NEVER seen a shark. Every time I see one of these posts, I cringe - do you REALLY think there are hordes of sharks ravenous for human flesh waiting in the shallows of every tropical beach. Shark attacks are EXCEEDINGLY rare - you are MUCH more likely to be in a traffic accident on one of the islands. If you are really concerned -
Avoid brackish,silty,cloudy water - being hunters, sharks like cover. The signs are more likely warning of the presence of sharks.

My kids were snorkeling off shore in Wailea last summer and I was standing in waist deep water watching them when a small dorsal fin broke the surface not two feet in front of me. I don't know if he was a "baby" or a small reef shark. There are sharks in Hawaii but he didn't bother me and I certainly didn't bother him.

Jackie
I agree with JMM. I too have snorkled at Maui several times including Olowalu. Never saw a shark. However there are sharks in the water but your chanches of seeing one or being attacked are slim. It is a risk we take when enter their turf. I feel the risk is small. When you look at all the people the enter the ocean on a daily basis and how many of them do not encounter sharks it is really a small small percent.

The Andrew Dougherty books have all the clues to look for. Never swim in murkey water or at the mouth of a river. I forget the rest. Someone told me that Oprah had a shark survivor on who said when you see the fish jumping up out of the water the small fish this is a sign. But we saw this so much last summer I doubt this meant there was a shark in the water.

xxx is right. Bait fish jumping out of the water are a sign of bigger fish chasing them, and sharks chase the bigger fish! Another sign of baitfish running are pelicans and seagulls diving into the water. If you ever find yourself in a school of bait fish, you probably would be safer out of the water.

I just got back from Maui this weekend. I spent a ton of time at the beach on the West side and never once feared the shark factor. I don't think you have much to worry about but if you are nervous, stick to the clear water- often when a shark "attacks" it is because the surf is murky (like many beaches in FL)-the shark bumps into the human, doesn't know what it is and bites out of defense or surprise. If you are in clear water, the sharks can see that you are too big to reckon with. Also, another tip is to stay out of the water in the very early morning and at dusk when sharks normally feed. Honestly though, just enjoy your vacation!