A small strip of Florida’s coastline is infamous for its record number of shark attacks. A total of 135 shark attacks occurred along this 47-mile strip of land in Volusia Country between 1999 and 2008.
That is 21 percent of the global number of shark attacks during that time, according a new study.
Remind me to stay beach-bound the next time I go to Florida.
But before we get carried away here, rid the image of the terrorizing Jaws’ shark from your mind. “Calling them attacks is probably a misnomer because the consequences are usually no more severe than a dog bite,” George Burgess, the director of shark research at the University of Florida, reported.
Far from the 10- to 20-foot intimidating giant white sharks that make Hollywood go ga-ga, the Florida coast line sees a lot of smaller shark traffic.
Such sharks include species like spinners and blacktops, which are often less than 6 to 7 feet long, Burgess said. Meaning at 6 foot 8 inches, Lebron James would dwarf most of these fishy predators in the water.
These types of sharks generally prey on small fish (not human flesh).
So why do these shark "attacks" happen? Because humans distract and confuse the sharks.
As we swim and splash around, the waters get muddy and turbid. Even sharks, the slick ocean predators, have difficulty distinguishing between a thrashing limb and a darting fish. And sometimes ocean-lovers are bitten on the leg or arm as a result.
This study was published in the edited volume, “Sharks and Their Relatives II.”
If you still are a bit anxious about stepping in the water, the research team came up with a few statistics about when shark attacks most frequently occur in Volusia County, Florida.
- You are most likely to get bitten if you swim on a Sunday -- that's the day when the largest number of people are in the water.
- You are most likely to get bitten if you are wearing a black and white bathing suit. Sharks' vision system is adept at picking up contrast (like the silver flash of a fish darting) and they probably strike at suits with high-contrast patterns for this reason.
- You are most likely to get bitten if you swim during a new moon or a full moon. Tides are highest, and the lunar cycle may influence sharks' reproductive and behavioral patterns.
- You are most likely to get bitten if you are swimming in less than 6 feet of ocean water.
- You are most likely to get bitten if you are male (especially a white guy). Men tend to spend longer in the water than women.
So, all you have to do is avoid these simple things and you’ll be in the clear -- or you can just go swimming in another state.
Image: Greyloch, Flickr
Tags: Animal Behavior, Animals, Fish, Oceans, Sharks
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