Florida Leads World In Shark Bites… Again

New Smyrna Beach, FL – They don’t call it the shark bite capital of the world for nothing. We’re not even halfway through the year yet, and Volusia County has already suffered its first two shark bites. Thankfully, no one has been seriously hurt or killed. The first of the two happened on Thursday (March 10) as a New Jersey man was fishing in waist high water near the 2000 block of South Atlantic Avenue. At some point, a black tip shark, about five to six feet in length, came up and bit the man’s left leg. He was not transported to the hospital by ambulance, according to Volusia County Beach Safety. Then on Sunday (March 13), an Altamonte Springs man was surfing in about 7 feet of water near the jetty when he was bitten on the right foot by a shark. Again, the injuries were non-life-threatening and he was not transported to the hospital by ambulance. The Shark Bite Capital Of The World The Florida Museum of Natural History compiles data of shark bite incidents from all across the world and publishes their findings in the International Shark Attack File. In 2021, 73 total shark bites were reported worldwide, almost exactly on-par with the 72 shark bites reported in 2020. Attacks range from unprovoked—when a human has no direct interaction with a shark—to provoked—when a human initiates interaction with a shark. The ISAF found that the United States currently leads the world in shark bites with a grand total of 47 reported in 2021 alone. Know where most of those came from? You guessed it. Right in our own backyard. For decades, Florida—specifically Volusia County and the New Smyrna Beach area—topped the list when it came to the number of shark attacks, both provoked and unprovoked. In 2021, Florida made up 28 of the US’ 47 shark attacks, followed by Hawaii with just six. Of the 28 attacks reported in Florida, 17, or 63 percent, came from right here in Volusia. That represents an increase from the five-year annual average of nine incidents in the area. The remaining bites and attacks came from incidents in Brevard, Miami-Dade, St. Lucie, Broward, Martin, Manatee, Palm Beach and St. Johns counties. Did you know you’re more likely to be bitten by someone in New York than you are a shark? Yeah it’s a weird comparison, but that’s according to the ISAF, who says the odds of being bitten by a shark are 1 in 3,748,067. Meanwhile, you’re 10 times as likely to be bitten by someone in New York. Whether you’re swimming in the ocean or taking a walk in Times Square, it’s important to know how to lower your chances of being bitten by a shark (just in case you find any in the middle of Manhattan). Avoid splashing in open water because sharks may mistake that activity for a struggling fish, stay close to shore, don’t swim around schools of fish or where people are fishing, and avoid swimming at dusk or dawn. Your bathing suit’s color can even help you out. The ISAF says divers and swimmers can reduce the chance of an interaction with a shark by avoiding bright swimwear or dive gear. They recommend the use of dark blue or black fins, mask, tank, and wetsuit while diving. For more information, be sure to visit the ISAF’s helpful tip page. And always remember to swim near a staffed lifeguard tower.