Florida has the highest number of shark bite incidents in the world State Museum of Natural History The Daytona Beach area, including the University of Florida, has seen more attacks than anywhere else.
of International Shark Attack File The team found that 351 random attacks have been confirmed since the earliest known record, dating back to 1837, and identified Volusia County as a global hotspot for human-eating sharks.
Florida, which has the longest coastline in the mainland US, saw 928 attacks in the same period, followed by Hawaii with 195, California with 138 and South Carolina with 118.
In New York, there were just 24 reports of unprovoked shark attacks during that period.
The shark attack files found a total of 1,640 attacks in the United States going back nearly 200 years, making it the country with the most attacks.
Next comes Australia with 706 attacks, and South Africa with 262 attacks by all shark species combined.
In 2023, the Shark Attack File recorded 69 random shark bites on humans worldwide.
Thirty-six of these attacks occurred in U.S. waters.
Florida had 16 cases, 44% of the total in the United States and 23% of unprovoked bites worldwide, half of which occurred in Volusia County.
Most of the attacks occurred during the summer months between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when more people take to the water.
On Labor Day 2023, two swimmers were bitten by sharks in separate incidents near Ponce Inlet, just south of Daytona Beach.
The man was bitten on his left hand and another shark bit the woman on her right leg, but neither attack was life-threatening.
Volusia County lifeguards say sharks are common sightings, but attacks are extremely rare.
“The residents who live here come into contact with sharks every day and have no issues,” Volusia Beach Safety Deputy Chief Tammy Malphurs said. He told WKMG-TV. “The bites here are the result of misidentification.”
“We have never had a life-threatening injury,” Malphurs continued, “but there have been a number of bites, primarily in the New Smyrna Beach area.”
Last year’s shark attacks included one in which a Queens resident, Tatiana Kortnuk, was killed by a shark last summer while swimming at Rockaway Beach, tearing off part of her thigh – the first attack at the beach in 70 years.
In addition to the 69 random attacks, there were 22 bites classified as provoked, meaning a human initiated contact with the shark.
Other cases involved boats, aquariums or post-mortem bites.
According to the National Ocean ServiceSharks’ fearsome reputation is not based in reality.
Of the 300 shark species, only 12 have ever attacked humans, and sharks generally do not like the taste of humans, preferring to eat other marine mammals.
If you are attacked by a shark, experts recommend protecting yourself as playing dead will not help.
People are encouraged to fight back by focusing on attacking the shark’s eyes, nose and gills.
Experts recommend using a surfboard, fishing tackle, or whatever other item is on hand to immobilize the shark.
But above all, don’t overthink the dangers.
“Sharks are only known to attack humans when they are confused or curious,” the National Ocean Service says. “When a shark sees a human splashing in the water, it may try to investigate and accidentally attack.”
