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North America's Top Shark-Attack Beaches

Long Beach Island, N.J.
© Andrew F. Kazmierski / Shutterstock

Long Beach Island, N.J.

Source material for "Jaws," a 1974 novel by Peter Benchley—and later a movie by Steven Spielberg—came from incidents at this New Jersey beach in 1916. In an unprecedented 11 days, five major shark attacks took place along the Jersey Shore, four of which were fatal. Reports cited blood turning the water red and sharks following victims toward the beach. Today, sharks are rare, but the legend lives on in the surf and swells of these tepid Atlantic waters.

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