Shark Week! How to avoid attacks and more

(CNN) — In travel news this week: Shark attacks are very rare, but our fascination with them is endless. Also, rough weather in tourist spots and aviation highs and lows.

Fins to the left, fins to the right

The late Jimmy Buffett’s cautionary “Fins” from 1979 dealt with predatory “land sharks” circling in Caribbean bars, but we’re talking about the real deal during  Shark Week, which starts at 8 p.m. Sunday on Discovery Channel.  You can catch shows with intriguing titles such as “Belly and the Beast: Bigger and Bloodier,” “Sydney Harbor Shark Invasion” and “Big Shark Energy.” Ready to bite? (Full disclosure: Warner Bros. Discovery is the parent company of CNN.)

If you happen to miss out on those, you can at least check out CNN’s Boris Sanchez being taught by an expert how to pet a shark.

Despite our endless fascination with sharks, unprovoked attacks on people are very rare. But they’re not impossible – at least three people were bitten by sharks in Texas and Florida on July 4. With that in mind, here’s advice on how to survive a shark attack.

And while we worry about sharks biting us, these vital apex predators of the seas are the ones in real trouble. With one third of shark species facing extinction, find out how one man is trying to save them.

Extreme weather

The real problem in the Caribbean this past week hasn’t been sharks, but something much more threatening: Hurricane Beryl. This monster storm, the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record, has so far lashed tourist havens such as Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

It’s also caused cruise ships to scramble out of its path and is expected to cause dangerous rip currents along US Gulf Coast beaches. Get the latest information at CNN Weather.

We have other natural woes, too: In Alaska, Denali National Park has no timeline for reopening as rare wildfire burns outside its entrance. In Wyoming, a landslide closed a major highway near Grand Teton National Park; a detour for public traffic has finally opened. In southern Europe, annual heat waves are starting to put a dent in summer vacations.

Aviation update

A Middle Eastern carrier has built a strong reputation for customer service over the past decade – and it’s been rewarded again with the honor of being named the world’s best airline by London-based rating organization Skytrax.

Speaking of excellence: There’s always a chance your luggage will be lost in transit – except at this airport, which has a spotless baggage record since opening in 1994. If you want to go 100% in to protect your precious cargo, consider 17 of the best anti-theft bags from our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN.

Service was less than impeccable for passengers this past week on a Delta Air Lines flight that was forced to divert after spoiled food was served to passengers.

US spotlight: Richmond and Providence

CNN Travel recently unveiled its top 10 best towns to visit for 2024. Topping our list is Virginia’s capital of Richmond, which has a dynamic, up-and-coming scene of arts, culture, history and food that just couldn’t be beat.

If your travels are taking you farther north this year, don’t miss out on all the offerings of Rhode Island’s capital of Providence, our No. 2 town that literally moved rivers to revitalize itself.

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And he’s helping Los Angeles hit a tourism home run.

Canada also has a birthday party in July.

Find out why its celebrations are more subdued.

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