The Shark And Crocodile-Packed Beach Tourists Should Skip When Vacationing In Florida

Florida is one of the most popular destinations in the United States, attracting flocks of tourists every year who wish to soak in the sun on its picture-perfect beaches — nearly 143 million made their way down to the southeastern state last year with the same idea. While Florida has some of America's most beautiful beaches in places like this trendy town full of vintage shops, where coastal meets country, or the dreamy seaside city with uncrowded white sand beaches, the state is also home to the US's most dangerous beaches — all of the top ten dangerous beaches in the country are in Florida, actually, due to various reasons like shark attacks, crocodiles, and rip currents. That makes choosing the right beach for your vacation critically important, as it could be the difference between a good time and a trip to the emergency room. While they all look stunning, you may want to think twice before visiting this popular Florida beach destination, as well as Satellite Beach.

The latter is situated in a city by the same name, located about a one-hour drive east from Orlando and just south of Cocoa Beach, and while it is worth a visit for a variety of reasons, like its river cruises and world-famous softball (it has the title of the softball capital of the world), its beach is unfortunately notable for frequent sightings of dangerous animals like sharks and crocodiles. If swimming is at the top of your vacation to-do list, you'll probably want to avoid a perilous destination like this and look into safer, more sensible waterfront spots.

As beautiful as some beaches in Florida are, they can carry unwanted risks that are best avoided — researching where you want to spend your days lounging and swimming in this state is an important task. In and around Satellite Beach, crocodile sightings are becoming less of a rarity. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, up to 2,000 adult crocodiles roam the coasts of southern Florida. In August 2023, in Satellite Beach, a dog was spotted dead in the jaws of a crocodile that residents thought was an alligator at first. While the FWC says that conflicts between these predators and people are rare, the growing number of adult crocodiles is becoming a worrisome subject for locals and tourists alike.

Crocodiles are not the only concern in Satellite Beach, however, as the area is also home to various types of sharks, like blacktip sharks, spinner sharks, and hammerhead sharks. And while sharks are not always necessarily aggressive creatures, there have been multiple recorded events of shark attacks on humans in the Satellite Beach area. In 2022, a 17-year-old girl was attacked by a shark while picking scallops, resulting in multiple bites to her right leg, which had to be amputated as a result. While these incidents are rare, they are reason enough to consider skipping Satellite Beach and finding a less dangerous spot.