Facts and safety tips as you head to the beach
Discovery Channel’s Shark Week kicked off Sunday, and many Florida beach-goers might find themselves paralyzed with fear while stepping into the Atlantic on the state’s east coast. After all, the state is home to the “shark bite capital of the world,” New Smyrna Beach.
In fact, Florida has more recorded shark attacks than any other state — 828 in recorded history, according to data from the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File. Hawaii is in second place with 162 confirmed attacks.
The last 20 years follows a similar trend. During the last two decades, Florida has had 487 recorded shark bites, while secondplace Hawaii has logged 117.
Tyler Bowling, manager of the Florida Program for Shark Research, explained why Florida has so many shark bites.
“It’s a tourist place, so we see a lot of people in the water,” Bowling said. “A majority of the bites that we see are very, very minor.”
While these statistics might seem daunting, in reality, the odds of dying from a shark attack are fairly slim.
According to an analysis from University of Florida, it’s much more likely for an individual to be killed by the flu, a car accident, a plane crash or lightning than a shark.
In fact, the chances of dying from a shark attack are only one in 3.7 million. And according to National Geographic, for every human killed by a shark, humans kill approximately two million sharks.
And besides, humans simply aren’t on the menu for sharks.
“One common misconception is that they’re actively hunting people. They don’t even view humans as food sources,” Bowling said. “It’s usually a case of mistaken identity or a territorial thing.”
He also said that about a third of recorded bites are because a shark has been provoked.
Though beach-goers’ chances of being bitten are slim, Bowling shared tips for those still worrying about sharks in the water.
He said to avoid swimming at dawn and dusk, which is prime hunting time for many sharks. Don’t wear shiny jewelry, as that can mimic a fish scale.
Avoid prolonged splashing because under the water, that creates the same sound waves as a fish in distress.
“Sometimes they might react because they saw somebody’s foot kicking on a boogie board,” Bowling said. “In many cases, sharks will stay away from humans when they see them. Some sharks can be territorial, but none are actively seeking out humans.”
In addition, it’s always best to swim with a buddy, stay close to shore and avoid swimming where people are fishing or there are baitfish in the water. Don’t enter the water while bleeding, and use caution near sandbars or steep drop-offs.
Bowling said movies like “Jaws,” at least in part, are to blame for the widespread panic over the ancient sea creatures.
“‘Jaws’ is one of my favorite movies. But following the release of ‘Jaws,’ the fear of sharks increased,” Bowling said. “It also made sport hunting for sharks that more popular.”
While Bowling said some endangered species of sharks should be protected, others are good for eating and should be fished for population management. After all, sharks are very diverse with more than 500 known species.
He also said that, especially for researchers, sharks are endlessly fascinating.
“They’ve been around since before the dinosaurs. They evolved in the Devonian period more than 400 million years ago,” Bowling said. “They’ve got cartilaginous skeletons; they can sense electrical fields; they have pores on the sides of their body they can feel vibrations with; and they’re just diverse as can be. They’re challenging to study as well.”
As for the Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week,” Bowling said that in recent years, the series has featured more “mockumentaries” and less real science.
“Unfortunately, in the last decade or so, it’s become sort of fake. They go out and try to find the Megalodon and all kinds of silly stuff,” Bowling said. “My hope is that they will continue to shift back toward the science and more biologists will make appearances.”
Other than “Shark Week,” he recommended local ways to appreciate and learn more about the ancient fish.
“Scientists, in their local areas, will generally be aware that the public is curious or fearful, and they want to change that,” Bowling said. “So if there’s an aquarium, a museum or university, people usually don’t have to look too hard for shark events.”