Humans are friends, not food

Bruce has been omnoming more people than usual, or has he? (Photo: Pixabay)

A new database from Taronga, an Australian conservation society, has tracked cases of shark attacks in Australian waters dating back from 1791, and has found an alarming trend: Shark bite incidents are increasing, and researchers aren’t sure why.

The number of recorded shark attacks in Australia per 1 million population since 1961. (Image: Taronga Conservation Society Australia)

Australia isn’t alone in this. In the past year, shark attack incidents have also gone up in other coastal areas like Miami, and all around the world. After three years of declines in shark bite cases, there was a significant increase in 2021.

Researchers from the Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File recorded 73 unprovoked bite incidents in 2021, compared to the 52 bites in 2020. The record from 2020 was the lowest documented in more than a decade.

In 2020, there was a global total of 11 shark-related fatalities, and nine of those were considered unprovoked, meaning those attacked did not initiate contact with the sharks. Australia had the most deaths with three, New Caledonia had two. The United States, Brazil, New Zealand, and South Africa recorded a single unprovoked fatal shark attack each.

Florida had the highest number of shark bite incidents along US coasts. (Image: Jane Dominguez, University of Florida)

In the US, there was a 42% increase in shark bites compared to 2020. Sixty percent came from Florida, now dubbed the Shark Bite Capital of the World. Florida reported 28 unprovoked attacks last year, compared to the 19 in the rest of the US and the 26 in other countries. Out of Florida’s 28 bite incidents, 17 were in Volusia County.

According to the International Shark Attack File, 51% of victims were surfers or boarders who spend much of their time in surf zones that are populated by sharks.

Sharks need glasses

Researchers warn that while there is some cause for concern with the increasing number of shark attacks, there may also be some other factors at play here.

One reason researchers point to is the growing human population, which leads to increased interest in water recreation. Scientists also theorize that reports have increased because social media makes it easier for people to report incidents of shark bites than it was 50 years ago.

There’s also the fact that we’ve been in lockdown for the past two years, so that may be the reason for the decline in attacks from 2019 to 2020. The 2021 numbers are back to what researchers consider typical, since we’re now surfing and having fun at the beach again. 

Besides that, there’s also changing behavior among sharks due to climate change that pushes them closer to coast lines. Sometimes, it’s just a simple case of mistaken identity.

Blacktip sharks, which are responsible for the majority of the bite incidents in Florida, hunt in warm waters near shorelines. The turbulent waves in these parts of the ocean disturb the sediments on the ocean floor, making it difficult for sharks to see their prey. About 60% of recorded shark attacks happen in low visibility water, where the sharks mistake humans for fish.

Don't hurt Bruce

We have to remember that while sharks get a bad rep because of occasional bite incidents, they’re also crucial in keeping ocean ecosystems in balance. A lot of them are critically endangered too.

The fact is that for most people, the risk of being bitten by a shark is extremely low, and fatality rates have been continuously declining over the past few decades. 

Plus, there are a variety of ways to avoid being munched on in the ocean. Experts warn beach goers about going into the sea with flesh wounds and flailing in open water, because sharks might mistake you for a struggling fish. You may also want to pass on the bling, because in the ocean, your jewelry might reflect sunlight and look like iridescent fish scales to a hungry predator.

As we learn more about shark behavior, environmental factors, beach safety, and first aid treatment, maybe we could also learn to dip our toes in our oceans with much less fear and a little more consideration—even if they’re home to our shark friends who are having an equally, if not harder, time in these circumstances.