Farewell and Adieu, Chief Brody...

...Off to that bigger boat in the sky

Farewell and Adieu to You Fair Spanish Ladies...

That song's been in my head all week having learned a Great White Shark has been snacking on seals off South Beach in Chatham.

Official advice to beachgoers: "Don’t swim with seals, don’t wear seal suits."

Selectman Ronald J. Bergstrom, doing his best Larry Vaughn, said he was not concerned about shark sightings scaring away tourists.

"All I can tell you is the town is packed, and I don't see anyone rushing back over the bridge," he said.

"But, as you see, it's a beautiful day, the beaches are open and people are having a wonderful time. Amity, as you know, means 'friendship.'"

I’m miles away from Chatham. I'm familiar with the stats. I watch Shark Week every year.

There hasn't been a fatal shark attack in New England since 1936. According to GreatWhite.org, Great White Sharks have been responsible for only 63 deaths worldwide since 1876, with a mere 232 recorded non-fatal attacks worldwide. And most attacks were supposedly cases of mistaken identity.

I know the facts from the fiction.

Yet all I hear in my head the voice of Mr. Quint. "Bad fish...This shark, swallow you whole. No shakin', no tenderizin', down you go."