It may not seem like it, but apparently shark attacks are decreasing in Florida
It’s summertime and the beaches are calling, but if you live in Florida’s “shark bite capital of the world” you may want to be extra careful when catching a wave.
In the past month or so, New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County has seen two shark attacks — neither fatal. Sharks have also been spotted on the county’s beaches frequently, according to WESH 2, which took video Sunday of a shark swimming very close to the shore in Daytona Beach — just a few feet from swimmers.
One attack involved a teen surfer bitten on the foot and the other was a teen who was bitten on the calf.
Although it may seem like a rise in attacks, it actually has been decreasing in the last few years, said Tyler Bowling, the University of Florida’s Program for Shark Research manager.
Last year, Volusia County saw four unprovoked shark attacks, while in 2017 there were nine, Bowling said.
In general, sharks don’t like Miami-Dade very much. The county has only had five attacks, provoked and unprovoked, in the last five years. Although Key Biscayne did have an attack earlier this year that sent one man to the hospital with his arm’s skin being “sawed” by the shark’s teeth.
But Central Florida iis a haven for sharks, Bowling said. New Smyrna Beach actually led the world in shark attacks in 2017, and is right on the path of the blacktip shark’s migration path.
Blacktips are also a very reactive shark species, meaning that that any flash of movement and they immediately open their jaws and take a bite, Bowling said.
When surfers and beach-goers get a bite from this species and other sharks it is usually on accident, Bowling said. In fact, if you were to be bitten, the shark would be surprised and frightened that you aren’t a fish.
If these numbers and facts have given you a little scare, don’t worry. The chances of you getting bitten are low.
“You can spend all day worrying about a shark bite, but the chances are astronomical,” Bowling said.
This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be safe when you’re having fun at the beach.
Bowling advises that you swim in groups, don’t overly splash or horse around and keep aware of your surroundings.
This story was originally published July 2, 2019 at 12:08 PM with the headline "It may not seem like it, but apparently shark attacks are decreasing in Florida."
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