VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA: The United States has continued to report the maximum number of shark attacks in the world amid the ongoing summer season. As per data released by the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), the country recorded 41 of 57 confirmed shark attack cases across the globe last year, which is reportedly 72 percent of the world's total for 2022.
More specifically, Florida was dubbed the "shark capital of the world" after registering 16 unprovoked nonlethal shark bites in 2022, the maximum number of attacks recorded in any US state or any single location. Volusia County in Florida was also marked as a shark hot spot after it witnessed 44 percent of the total number of attacks. Meanwhile, New York witnessed the second most recorded shark attacks in 2022, with eight reported incidents followed by Hawaii, which saw a total of five attacks, including one resulting in a fatality.
What is the shark attack capital of the world?
In 2022, Florida once again saw the most number of "unprovoked" shark bite attacks and accounted for 28% of the total number of attacks across the globe. The ISAF said that the Sunshine State recorded 16 shark bites in 2022. "For decades, Florida has topped global charts in the number of shark bites, and this trend continued in 2022," the study revealed.
The report also noted that 32 additional shark bites in 2022 resulted from the beast being "provoked" by the victims either through harassment or by any means or attempt of touching the fish. The study further mentioned that Florida’s Volusia County retained its title as the "shark bite capital of the world" after witnessing a total of seven shark bites last year.
A look at latest shark attack data
Reports suggest that the most number of shark attacks in a single year since 2000 was recorded in 2015 with a total of 111 unprovoked attacks. Despite the rising concern related to shark attacks, the total number of incidents recorded across the world in 2022 was less than the average of 70 cases reported worldwide five years ago. The total number of cases in the US also reportedly went down last year from the 47 attacks reported in 2021.
A total of five attacks reported across the world in 2022 turned out to be fatal, including two in Egypt, two in South Africa, and one in Hawaii. This year, there has already been a total of seven fatal unprovoked shark attacks as of Monday, July 10, including three in Australia and two in Egypt. As per ISAF, unprovoked shark attacks can be defined as "incidents in which a bite on a live human occurs in the shark’s natural habitat with no human provocation of the shark," the Daily Mail reported.
In accordance with the latest reports, the US is already on track to witness the most number of shark attacks in the world this year. So far, 23 of 42 attacks in the world have been reported in the US. Before 2022, New York only recorded a dozen of unprovoked shark attacks. However, the New York area has been particularly placed on high alert this summer. Long Island's beaches saw eight people being bitten by sharks swimming in the shallows last year. Meanwhile, a total of five attacks have already been reported in the area this year.
Last week a 15-year-old teenage surfer fell victim to a shark attack on the coast of Fire Island. The following day, three more people were bitten around the same area, including a 47-year-old man who was swimming in the chest-deep water off Quogue Village Beach. Officials said the man suffered cuts to his knee from the attack. Two other victims, including a 49-year-old man at Pines Beach and a woman at Cherry Grove, also suffered non-life-threatening injuries from the attack. It was reported that Fire Island would remain on high alert for the rest of the summer after reporting six shark attacks in three weeks last summer.
What did officials say about the shark attacks?
The International Shark Attack File said that "year-to-year variability in oceanographic, socioeconomic, and meteorological conditions significantly influences the local abundance of sharks and humans in the water." Earlier this year, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that 10 drones were added to the state's squadron, bringing the total to 18, in order to monitor shark activity along New York's beaches.
"With New Yorkers and visitors alike preparing to enjoy our beautiful Long Island beaches all summer long, their safety is our top priority," the governor said in May, as per the Daily Mail. "This year we are taking further action to protect beach-goers by increasing surveillance to monitor for shark activity near beaches off the South Shore," she added. Others reportedly said that an increase in shark sightings might hint towards a healthier ecosystem.
As cleaner waters allow small fish to flourish, they often swim closer to the shore. This allows sharks who feed on small fishes to move closer to the shore. Since the 16th century, ISAF recorded 1,604 unprovoked shark attacks in the US. Australia became the next country with the most attacks but has reported less than half cases as compared to the US with 691 incidents. The number of yearly shark attacks has also increased over the last 70 years. Back in 1950, there were 50 reports of shark attacks across the world while by 2020 the average number of attacks reported each year rose to 70.
