When I was researching the New Jersey book in 2004, I stumbled over a bit of information about a series of shark attacks that occurred in the waters off NJ in 1916. Further reading showed that there were three separate incidents. In the final attacks, a shark swam 16 miles up Matawan Creek and attacked swimmers inland. Apparently these events were the basis for the movie Jaws.
The last thing anyone--including me--expected in Matawan was shark attacks. That's even weirder than the idea of a shark attack off the pier in JC (which has never happened, as far as I know). Also strange? A shark was killed off the pier in Bayonne! This week, I'm reading a book about the 1916 shark attacks and in it, it says that a policeman shot a shark in Bayonne. Besides being totally odd because a shark is not a bank robber, that's right next door!
4 comments:
They're also pulling up lionfish off the coast of New York, which is really, really far north.
It'll get weirder.
I'll have to check my Encyclopedia of New Jersey... hm, nothing, what about Weird N.J.? Nothing there either. I'll have to go to the Jersey Room at the public library and get back to you on that one. They helped me last time when I was researching the building I live in. Surely they'll know about the Hippo Attacks of 1916.
Ah... just realized the Jersey Room can help me plan the walk along the Morris Canal that I've been scheming to do.
Hm... not so far, maybe an hour... my first reaction was "Why would I go to a zoo to see hippos when they've wandered past my head at night with only a screen and mozzy net separating us," but then I looked at the link.
Very very cool. May even take priority over the PEZ museum.
Damn... $16.95. I wish someone would pay me already. Been waiting on some checks for a loooong time now.
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