Peril in the shallows
Great white sharks are found throughout the world’s temperate oceans and can reach 20ft long.
Most attacks on humans occur within 100ft of the shore and in water no more than 6ft deep.
Around half of shark attack victims are surfers, apparently because their silhouette resembles prey such as turtles or seals.
They usually let go of a human vict i m after realising it is not their preferred prey. But their sharp teeth mean even a single injury can be fatal.
Australia has the highest attack rate, with 257 deaths recorded since 1900. The United States has more attacks in total.
For every human killed by a shark, scientists estimate we kill approximately two million sharks.