Shark, alligator on Oak Island beach as summer warms the surf

OAK ISLAND, NC (WNCN) — Just as summer was getting underway, some interesting sights were recently spotted in the surf on a North Carolina island south of Wilmington.

Oak Island in Brunswick County is almost 30 square miles and is home to all kinds of wildlife.

As the Atlantic Ocean warms along Oak Island’s 10-mile beach, a shark accidentally became entangled in the surf last week and was released.

Sharks are a common sight on the 12-mile-long island, with at least one charter boat taking people out to catch sharks.

Last Saturday, a fisherman accidentally hooked an 8-foot lemon shark. This is a species that is not normally aggressive towards humans.

The shark was caught as the June Strawberry was seen over the fishing pier. After catching the shark in the surf, the fisherman struggled a bit to dislodge the fish — and eventually released it.

And around Memorial Day, a rare alligator was captured on video near the same Oak Island pier. The alligator — a baby — was spotted in clear, shallow water.

Mary Frances Barnes Rodriguez filmed the alligator as it swam and bobbed through the waves.

Oak Island has issued shark warnings in the past and uses a purple flag on beaches to alert beachgoers to potential marine threats.

So far on the coast of North Carolina last weekend, a 14-year-old boy was bitten by a shark at North Topsail Beach, north of Wilmington in Onslow County.

Five days before the teen was bitten, there was an initial report of a “shark bite” on Sunset Beach in Brunswick County, near the South Carolina border, according to WWAY-TV. Police on the island later said a man had been taken to a nearby hospital for treatment after being bitten by a marine animal, but officials could not confirm whether it was a shark.