THE US has the highest number of shark attacks in the world, according to a study.
Last year, nearly half of the unprovoked attacks reported were in the US with the state of Florida coming out the worst.
4
Many believe that Australia is one of the most dangerous places for shark attacks in the world.
Two British tourists were bitten by a shark yesterday in Queensland, Australia, with one having his foot ripped off during the attack.
However, according to the International Shark Attack File, who investigated 130 incidents last year, there were 66 unprovoked attacks, with the majority happening in the US.
The investigation revealed that there were 32 unprovoked shark attacks in the US in 2018 – the highest in the world – with one incident being fatal.
The study also found there were 34 provoked attacks in 2018.
4
The researchers found that ten of the incidents were unlikely to have been attacks while nine were against boats.
One even took place at an aquarium.
Australia came in second, with 20 non-fatal and one fatal shark attacks.
Despite the worrying numbers, shark attacks in the US are down compared to the previous year, which saw 53 incidents – while Australia had increased in incidents from 14 to 20 attacks.
The study explains how shark incidents are expected to increase as more humans enter the water.
Countries with the most unprovoked shark attacks
- USA – 32, 1 fatal
- Australia – 20, 1 fatal
- Brazil – 3, 1 fatal
- Egypt – 3, 1 fatal
- South Africa – 2
- Bahamas – 1
- Costa Rica – 1
- Galapagos Islands – 1
- New Caledonia – 1
- New Zealand – 1
- Thailand – 1
4
They warned: “The number of human-shark interactions is strongly correlated with time spent by humans in the sea.
“As the human population continues to expand and as interest in outdoor aquatic recreational activities increases, the incidence of shark attacks is expected to rise.”
Florida was found to be the worst state in the US for shark attacks, with 50 per cent of the incidents taking place there.
Other states such as Hawaii, North Carolina and South Carolina scored no higher than three attacks last year.
Shark attacks in the US
- Florida – 16
- Hawaii – 3
- North Carolina – 3
- South Carolina – 3
- Massachusetts – 2
- New York – 2
- California – 1
- Georgia – 1
- Texas – 1
4
Last year, a 33-year-old paddle boarder was killed by a shark attack in Whitsunday Islands in Australia following a spate of maulings in the area.
Dan Christidis suffered injuries to both his calves and wrists and he later died in hospital.
A 41-year-old managed to fight off a shark last month after surfing at Belongil Beach, leading to a number of beach closures in Byron Bay.
He was later airlifted to hospital and remains in a stable condition.
A man was left in critical condition after being bitten by a shark in Massachusetts last year, the first since 2012.
British waters could soon be home to more sharks, thanks to the rising sea temperatures.
Dr Ken Collins, a former administrator of the UK Shark Tagging Programme said Hammerheads and Great Whites could migrate from the Spanish Coast and Mediterranean.
There are currently 40 species of sharks in British waters, such as the basking shark and the blue shark.
