Florida by far led the country in shark attacks
between 2007 and 2016, with 244, according to an analysis by the SafeWise security company. Hawaii came in second with 65.
No other coastal state came close. South Carolina had 39; California, 33; North Carolina, 33; Texas, 11; Oregon, six; Georgia, four; and Alabama, three.
SafeWise provided shark attack data to coincide with the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, which began Sunday. Its rankings of shark attacks in coastal states were based on data from the Florida Museum and the Global Shark Attack File for the 10-year period.
“While all shark attacks are traumatizing, they do not occur as frequently as you’d think,” SafeWise said. “In fact, humans kill more sharks each year than the reverse.”
On average, there are about 45 shark attacks annually in the United States, and most of the victims were surfing or swimming.
SafeWise calculated the odds of being attacked by
a shark at 11.5 million-to-1.
Humans are much more like to die from the flu, be
involved in a car accident or struck by lightning, the group said.
To reduce the odds of
being bitten by a shark, SafeWise recommends swimming in groups where people are less likely to be mistaken for ocean food; staying close to shore; avoiding swimming at night; heeding shark warnings;
being careful near sandbars and ocean drop-offs where sharks tend to swim in deeper areas; avoiding schools of fish; and not entering the ocean while bleeding.
In general, SafeWise said, “Use common sense. You are entering the shark’s territory, so respect the shark and its natural habitat.”
