A recent spate of shark attacks along North Carolina's beaches has left beachgoers frightened and experts scratching their heads.

The most recent attack, in which a six-to-seven foot shark bit a man swimming in waist-deep water off Ocracoke Island in North Carolina, was the season's seventh.

All of them occurred within the past three weeks.

I JUST WITNESSESED A FREAKING SHARK ATTACK!!!! I WAS THIS CLOSE!!! — Jackson Fuqua (@jacksonfuqua) July 1, 2015

Shark experts are struggling to explain the recent wave of attacks, but say that regardless of their fearsome reputations, sharks encounter humans when going after their main prey: fish, turtles and other sea creatures.

In other words, they are not deliberately targeting people.

See also: This monster of a shark will make you never want to swim again

Still, the data isn't exactly reassuring. 2015 is already tied with 2008 for the highest amount of recorded shark attacks that either North or South Carolina has seen in a single year, according to the Shark Research Institute.

And it's only the beginning of beach season.

You thought I was kidding pic.twitter.com/nbPbrEgjuY — Jackson Fuqua (@jacksonfuqua) July 1, 2015

Roger Rufilson, a senior scientist and ecology professor at Eastern Carolina University, said that he and his doctoral student Chuck Bangley have noticed a pattern in the attacks: the sharks have migrated from south to north over time, which mirrors the direction that sharks typically migrate at this time of the year.

The migration pattern, combined with water temperatures that have increased faster than usual this year, may have caused the migration to "bunch up," said Rufilson. The scientist also believes that there are more tourists at North Carolina beaches at this time of year than usual.

Therefore, the combination of more people and more sharks is yielding more interactions between people and sharks, he told Mashable in an interview on Thursday.

Plus, chances are a shark is always just a short swim away.

@myfox8 to the right of the shot you can see the fin pic.twitter.com/qpqmHksJJk — Johnny Supan (@jsupan98) June 26, 2015

Marie Levine, Executive Director of the Shark Research Institute, said that you are most likely always about 10 to 20 feet away from a shark when you are in the ocean.

“You’re swimming with sharks every time you are in the ocean,” she told Mashable. "People must educate themselves on the ecological environment. Oceans aren't swimming pools."

While we know that many shark species prefer warm waters, although the behavior, range and migration of some sharks — including the infamous Great Whites — remain the subject of considerable mystery.

To add to the confusion, the location of the most recent shark attack on Ocracoke Island broke the consistent south-to-north pattern of the recent attacks.

And then there's the fact the majority of these bites seemingly occurred during the day. Rufilson said that it is peculiar that most of these attacks seem to have occurred during the day, since sharks tend to feed at dawn or dusk, when they have the best visibility advantage over their prey.

Clay Creswell, a shark bite investigator in the Carolinas for the Shark Research Institute, a nonprofit group that researches sharks and advocates for their conservation, says variations in ocean currents could be causing the above average rate of shark attacks in the area this year.

#CNN: Witness says ppl already back in water at Ocracoke Island, NC after shark attack. pic courtesy Stephen Lee pic.twitter.com/CSKnMxlV5c — AnneClaire Stapleton (@AnneClaireCNN) July 1, 2015

According to Creswell, at the same time as warmer water attracts more sharks, sharks follow their food, and the currents are bringing more shark food to the shore. He assured Mashable that he doesn’t believe that these sharks are interested in eating humans.

Rufilson says that the most recent attack can be attributed to the fact that it happened in an area surrounded by two inlets that attract sharks.

“Inlets are a hangout for sharks because small fish are going out of, and coming into, those inlets, and waters are cloudy, so sharks frequent that area,” he said.

Creswell and Rufilson both hypothesize, judging from the severity of some of the bites, that bull sharks have been the culprit in at least a few of these attacks.

“My guess, from the severity of some of these bites, is that it’s a bull shark. These larger animals will eat fish but are designed to target larger prey,” Creswell said.

“Bull sharks are one of the more aggressive species, and they are found in this area,” added Rufilson.

Both experts shared a few tips with Mashable on how to avoid shark attacks for those of you headed to the beaches on this holiday weekend.

Avoid wearing jewelry in the water. “Sharks can mistake jewelry for the sheen [the shiny glow] of a fish,” Creswell said.

Don’t wear light colors. “Sharks can see light-colored clothing better in cloudy water and can mistake it for food,” Rufilson said.

Avoid excessive splashing, as it can "indicate distress," Creswell said. This "can be attractive to a predator.”

Avoid areas of the water with high numbers of small fish. “Sharks follow their food,” Creswell said.