International data show that 2024 was an exceptionally quiet year for shark attacks against humans.
The International Shark Attack Archivemaintained by him Florida Natural History Museum, It provides data on what are considered unprovured snacks, defined as incidents in which a person does not initiate contact with a shark. The instances in which a person begins intentionally or involuntarily the contact, including spear fishing and the release of network or hook sharks, are not included in the report.
The report shows worldwide, there were only 47 unpaved attacks, below the previous year and well below the 10 -year average of 70. Four of last year’s attacks resulted in deaths, also a significant reduction of the last years.
“We are interested in the natural patterns of shark behavior so that we can understand why people are occasionally bitten by these animals,” says Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida program for shark research in the United States.
“Any sign or attribute that modifies the natural behavior of an animal is something that, as scientists, we want to exclude.”
The United States consistently has the greatest number of non -provoked bites, a trend that continued last year with 28 reported incidents. An attack of a kind of unknown shark on the northwest coast of Oahu, Hawaii, resulted in the only mortality not caused in the United States.
With warm waters and wide coast, Florida had a total of 14 snacks, more than any other state. Of these, eight occurred in Volusia County, which has the unofficial title of Capital of the world of shark bite. The report says that although it did not confirm, many of these bits were probably Blacktip sharkswhose reproduction areas extend along the coast of the northeast of Florida.
“Many of the sharks in this area are minor and have not yet developed completely the ability to distinguish between humans and their natural prey, which includes fish, stripes and other sharks.”
Sharks and Tigres Sharks They are common along the north coast of Florida, but they rarely venture into recreational areas.
There were three attacks not caused in California, including one in which a surfboard was perforated. Worldwide, surfers represented 33% of all attacks last year.
“People surf where there are good waves, and where there are good waves, there is turbidity and where there is turbidity, there are often bait fish that attract sharks. Turbidity also reduces visibility in water, which makes it more difficult to see sharks. Some of them make mistakes, ”says Naylor.
Global shark data
Australia generally averages the second highest number of bite and deaths reported. Of the 13 species of sharks that have been known by humans, they all have distributions in the waters of Australia. White sharks and bull sharks are particularly common. White sharks form two overlapping populations throughout the southwest and southeast of the continent, each with a few hundred adults, below their estimated historical numbers.
The report says that even relatively lower bites of a white or bull shark can be potentially mortal, which contributes to the high mortality rate of the country. However, this number ranges from year to year, and in 2019, 2022 and 2024, there were no deaths reported by unprovoked meetings.
Ten countries had individual snacks, including one in the Red Sea in front of the coast of Egypt in which, according to the reports, a man swam out of a designated security area. Other countries include Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas, Maldivas, Mozambique, French Polynesia, Thailand and Turkish and Caicos.
An unusual incident on the western coast of Sahara marked the first shark attack reported for the region. A German tourist who sailed in a British catamaran who travels from the Canary Islands was attacked while swimming next to the boat. The incident occurred in remote international waters, and an emergency team took several hours to reach the scene by helicopter. The woman died of her wounds on the return trip.
A man who crosses the waters of the Vaiterna river in western India was bitten last year by a medium -sized bull shark. Of the species that could be identified from witness accounts, video images of the attacks and/or the lacerations pattern left by their teeth, the Toro sharks were the main culprits of last year’s bites. Unlike most other shark species, tolerant sharks are tolerant of fresh water environments and have found hundreds of miles of the sea in rivers. Pregnant females often navigate upstream, where there are less predators who represent a danger to their young.
The international shark attack archive provides a Cured list of recommendations To further reduce the risk of a shark bite, such as eliminating reflective jewels before entering the water and avoiding areas where people are fishing.
This article was first published by Florida Natural History Museum
International Shark Attack File website. He Complete infographic With summary statistics and security tips it is also available for download.
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