# The Real Shark Attacks Behind 'Jaws' — Terror And Blood On The 1916 Jersey Shore

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/weird-darkness-paranormal-true-crime-stories-475827/the-real-shark-attacks-behind-jaws-terror-and-blood-on-the-1916-jersey-shore
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/weird-darkness-paranormal-true-crime-stories-475827/the-real-shark-attacks-behind-jaws-terror-and-blood-on-the-1916-jersey-shore.md
Podcast: [Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories](https://stenobird.com/podcast/weird-darkness-paranormal-true-crime-stories-475827)
Published: 2026-07-04T19:51:33+00:00
Episode link: https://weirddarkness.com/jaws
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72821212/wdjul4_jaws.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/weird-darkness-paranormal-true-crime-stories-475827/episodes/the-real-shark-attacks-behind-jaws-terror-and-blood-on-the-1916-jersey-shore
Duration seconds: 5109

## Resource

The 1975 film that emptied the beaches was built on real horror — the 1916 Jersey Shore attacks that killed four, the unsolved disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan, and the science of why great whites bite at all. EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/jaws READ or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/jaws FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: In June of 1975 we were exposed to one of the scariest movies ever made. For this podcaster, it’s just not Independence Day until I watch it – and you still can’t get me to swim in the ocean. We’ll look at what made ‘Jaws’ so successful… and so frightening. We’ll also look at the true story of a string of shark attacks in 1916 that inspired the novel and the film. And while 1975’s ‘Jaws’ was inspired by a series of shark attacks but greatly fictionalized, the film ‘Open Water’ from 2003 is based on a very real and terrifying story. But the truth behind the movie is a dark mystery that goes way beyond the horror of what you see in the film. We’ll look at several other real shark attacks that are almost too incredible to believe, and also try to answer the question as to why shark attacks don’t happen more often as you would expect them to, seeing as humans should be easy pickings. CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding (My First Experience With a Horror Movie) 00:02:16.983 = Show Open 00:05:28.642 = The Real-Life Inspiration for “Jaws” 00:15:01.913 = The Horror of “Jaws” *** 00:40:05.165 = The True Darkness of “Open Water” *** 00:52:06.811 = Real Shark Attacks 01:04:18.086 = Why Sharks Attack Humans *** 01:23:44.579 = Show Close *** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break LISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on…

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## Transcript

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