TOURISTS BITE BACK
If Volusia is the shark bite capital of the world, how is its tourism industry also rising by huge numbers?
Sharks have been the star-fish attraction in media headlines this summer, with Volusia County earning its reputation as the shark bite capital of the world. With at least 19 suspected shark attacks in Florida this year, once again Volusia County leads the way, especially in New Smyrna Beach.
Despite the ignominious reputation, shark bites don’t appear to be deterring anyone from
a nice day at the beach, evident by Volusia’s record breaking tourist season in 2018.
Volusia County has had 303 confirmed shark bite attacks from 1882-2018, according to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File.
It leads the rest of the world by a wide margin with the second-highest total coming out of its neighbor Brevard County at 147 confirmed reports.
That being the case, Volusia County still saw 10.2 million guests come to the area in 2018 up nearly 200,000 visitors from the year before, with many visiting the beaches during the summer months, according to county data.
The increase in tourism is surprising considering Florida’s reported bites jumped the shark dramatically from nine attacks in 2016 to 31 attacks in 2017, according to the Shark Attack File.
Four of the attacks took place in Volusia, but that number looks to dramatically rise in 2019 as there have been 10 suspected shark bites in the county already. The most recent of them occurred Friday when a 9-year-old girl was bitten on the leg at New Smyrna Beach.
But there’s no panic in the area.
Many came to New Smyrna Beach the day following the attack to enjoy a beautiful morning either not knowing or caring about the three other attacks that took place at the same beach earlier in August.
“I know they’re there, and I look out for them, but it’s not something I’m all too concerned about,” said 22-year-old Brandon Dickens, a recent graduate of Florida State University. Dickens was visiting his parents for the weekend and took the morning to enjoy some paddleboarding.
“Honestly, it would be kind of cool to get bit, by like a little shark,” Dickens said and laughed. His parents and accompanying girlfriend agreed.
Like Dickens’, the fear of sharks isn’t keeping anyone away from Volusia County
water, and despite the county’s reputation officials work to educate residents and tourists about the reality of sharks as part of its tourism strategy.
Part of the education that’s diffused is about the nature of the Indian River Lagoon, North America’s most biologically diverse estuary containing more than 2,200 animal species and serves as a “nursery” for marine life that later move into the Atlantic Ocean at maturity, according to Courtnee Brokaw, New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau’s spokesperson.
“While sharks tend to get a bad rap, they are essential to the oceanic food chain,” Brokaw said. “Without them, the marine ecosystem would be threatened and unbalanced; the water would become slimy and swamp-like. These [attacks] are most often a case of mistaken identity.”
Sharks are the apex predator in the food chain and play a vital role in eating smaller fish and invertebrates, such as sting rays, and maintaining a balance of marine creatures in the the lagoon and around the world.
“Without sharks the whole system starts to fall apart,” said Chad Truxall the executive director of the Marine Discovery Center. “You want a bunch of sting rays on the beach? No way. That’s the role sharks play.”
The Marine Discovery Center is located off the North Causeway leading into the Flagler Avenue boardwalk in New Smyrna Beach.
Visitors are greeted by a massive, shark mouth upon entering the Discovery Center which is accompanied by information about the reality sharks live in every year such as one sign that reads: ■ Humans killed by
sharks: 12 ■ Sharks killed by humans: 100,000,000 The startling statistic hung for visitors is based on 2013 publication titled “Global catches, exploitation rates, and rebuilding options for sharks.”
“Volusia beaches see a lot of sharks, and sometimes theirs is a case of mistaken identity where a shark attacks the arm or leg of somebody, but it’s extremely rare. We’ve never had a fatality,” Truxell said of New Smyrna Beach.
Media headlines report more shark attacks during the summer and early fall because there is simply more people in the water, Truxell said.
That’s as true in New Smyrna Beach as it is anywhere else, but the shark attack capital earns its reputation during the summer months due to the fact that there are more sharks in the area during the annual blacktip and spinner shark migration.
Whether the education is quelling fears of shark attacks is hard to say, but what is clear is that sharks are not harming the local beach economy.
“If it has a shark on it, it sells,” said the manager of Wild Side, a beach clothing and accessories store. The store sits right in front of the entrance to the Flagler Avenue boardwalk, and resides in a building with a marine creature mural painted on its eastern face. Sharks are of course represented.
As for its merchandise, one of its most popular items is a T-shirt with a print of “Capital of the World in Shark Attacks, New Smyrna Beach.” It’s only one of several sharkrelated apparel choices.
“I don’t think people are that scared of them,” the manager said. “Sharks are part of the attraction here.”