Latest news with #FloridaProgramforSharkResearch
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Map: Here's where the most shark attacks have happened
The Brief At least 1,660 "unprovoked" shark attacks have been reported in the U.S. since the 1800s. Florida leads the nation in the number of attacks, with far more than any other state. The International Shark Attack File has tracked shark attacks in the U.S. as far back as the early 1800s – long before the 1916 shark attacks along the New Jersey coast inspired the "Jaws" novel and movie. As cinephiles mark the 50th anniversary of "Jaws," a popular beach in Florida has been deemed the "shark bite capital of the world." In 2024, there were 47 "unprovoked" shark bites around the globe, and 28 of those happened in the U.S., according to the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File (ISAF). There were also 24 "provoked bites," which happen when humans try to interact with sharks. The ISAF has tracked shark attacks in the U.S. as far back as the early 1800s – long before the 1916 shark attacks along the New Jersey coast inspired the "Jaws" novel and movie. Shark expert George Burgess, former director of the Florida Program for Shark Research, described the 1916 Jersey Shore attacks as "the most unique set of shark attacks that ever have occurred" in a 2012 interview with Smithsonian Magazine. Spielberg's 1975 film, based on Peter Benchley's novel, captured that same sense of mystery and fear—and turned it into box office history. RELATED: 'Jaws' was fiction; this was the terrifying true story You can read more about the "Jaws" anniversary and the 1916 shark attacks here. By the numbers Florida has reported 942 shark attacks since 1882, far more than any other state. Julie Andersen, founder of the New York-based Shark Angels, told Fox News Digital that shark sightings and encounters have increased from coast-to-coast, but it doesn't mean there are more sharks in the ocean. The 47 unprovoked bites recorded in 2024 were far below the 10-year average of 70 shark bites a year. What they're saying "The rise in sightings is due to a mix of factors: more people in the water, better technology, shifting ocean conditions, and in some cases, successful conservation," she said. Local perspective New Smyrna Beach, located in Volusia County, Florida, "consistently tops global charts for shark encounters," Andersen said. Dig deeper Andersen said most unprovoked shark bites are considered minor injuries. "Most of these bites are minor, often from migrating small blacktip sharks mistaking toes and fingers for small bait fish. Many don't even require stitches," she explained. There was only one unprovoked shark attack death in the U.S. in 2024. It happened off the northwest coast of Oahu, Hawaii, and claimed the life of well-known surfer and lifeguard Tamayo Perry, according to USA Today. Here's a breakdown of shark attacks in the U.S. by state: Florida: 942 Hawaii: 199 California: 141 South Carolina: 120 North Carolina : 81 Texas: 49 Oregon: 29 New Jersey: 16 Georgia: 17 New York: 24 Alabama: 10 Massachusetts: 6 Virginia: 5 Louisiana: 5 Delaware: 5 Mississippi: 2 Washington: 2 Rhode Island: 2 Maine: 2 Connecticut: 1 Maryland: 2 The Source This report includes information from the International Shark Attack File, Fox News Digital, USA Today and previous LiveNow from FOX reporting. FOX's Austin Williams contributed.
Telegraph
14-02-2025
- Telegraph
Shark bites off tourist's hands as she tries to take selfie on Caribbean beach
A shark bit the hands off a woman along the shore of a Caribbean beach while she was trying to take a picture with it. The 55-year-old woman, who is understood to be Canadian, had only strayed a few yards into the water when she was attacked last Friday. According to the local authorities she 'attempted to engage' with the shark when the 6ft-long predatory fish struck off Thompson Cove Beach in the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is understood she had one of her arms amputated below the wrist and the other half way up her forearm. She has since returned to Canada for further treatment. The species was not confirmed, but local reports suggested it was a bull shark. Her horrified husband rushed into the water in the hope that he could drive the shark away before it could strike again. Tourists gathered around the victim and used their clothes to stem the bleeding. Video footage captured by another tourist showed the shark in the vicinity ahead of the attack. It is understood that it had been swimming in the area for around 40 minutes before striking. 'The shark was estimated to be approximately 6ft in length. However the species is yet to be confirmed. It has been determined that the tourist had attempted to engage with the animal from the shallows in an attempt to take photographs,' the authorities said. Shark attacks rare in Turks and Caicos Shark attacks are rare in the Turks and Caicos, with only one reported last year. Nevertheless authorities in the Caribbean have urged caution. In the Cayman Islands feeding sharks has been illegal since 2022 because of the risk to swimmers and divers. 'Some people believe feeding sharks is great for business or will increase tips from customers, and some even mistakenly believe that conditioning sharks to take speared lionfish will somehow teach them to hunt lionfish out of reef crevices. But teaching sharks to take food from divers only really endangers both humans and sharks,' the Cayman authorities warned. It is estimated that around 83 people a year are the victims of unprovoked shark attacks. In some parts of the world shark attacks are on the rise, notably off the coast of southern Australia and the US eastern seaboard. In July 2020 Julie Dimperio Holowach, 63, of New York City. Holowach, the former president of handbag designer Kipling USA, was killed by a shark while swimming off the coast of Maine. According to the International Shark Attack File the rise is due to the number of people entering the water. 'The more sharks and people there are in one place, the greater the chance of them bumping into each other,' explained Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Yahoo
Shark bites off tourist's hands as she tries to take selfie on Caribbean beach
A shark bit the hands off a woman along the shore of a Caribbean beach while she was trying to take a picture with it. The 55-year-old woman, who is understood to be Canadian, had only strayed a few yards into the water when she was attacked last Friday. According to the local authorities she 'attempted to engage' with the shark when the 6ft-long predatory fish struck off Thompson Cove Beach in the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is understood she had one of her arms amputated below the wrist and the other half way up her forearm. She has since returned to Canada for further treatment. The species was not confirmed, but local reports suggested it was a bull shark. Her horrified husband rushed into the water in the hope that he could drive the shark away before it could strike again. Tourists gathered around the victim and used their clothes to stem the bleeding. Video footage captured by another tourist showed the shark in the vicinity ahead of the attack. It is understood that it had been swimming in the area for around 40 minutes before striking. 'The shark was estimated to be approximately 6ft in length. However the species is yet to be confirmed. It has been determined that the tourist had attempted to engage with the animal from the shallows in an attempt to take photographs,' the authorities said. Shark attacks are rare in the Turks and Caicos, with only one reported last year. Nevertheless authorities in the Caribbean have urged caution. In the Cayman Islands feeding sharks has been illegal since 2022 because of the risk to swimmers and divers. 'Some people believe feeding sharks is great for business or will increase tips from customers, and some even mistakenly believe that conditioning sharks to take speared lionfish will somehow teach them to hunt lionfish out of reef crevices. But teaching sharks to take food from divers only really endangers both humans and sharks,' the Cayman authorities warned. It is estimated that around 83 people a year are the victims of unprovoked shark attacks. In some parts of the world shark attacks are on the rise, notably off the coast of southern Australia and the US eastern seaboard. In July 2020 Julie Dimperio Holowach, 63, of New York City. Holowach, the former president of handbag designer Kipling USA, was killed by a shark while swimming off the coast of Maine. According to the International Shark Attack File the rise is due to the number of people entering the water. 'The more sharks and people there are in one place, the greater the chance of them bumping into each other,' explained Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Shark attacks dropped in 2024. Here's where most bites occurred.
Shark attacks — particularly deadly ones — dropped substantially last year around the world, a new report shows. The latest iteration of the International Shark Attack File, a database run by the Florida Museum of Natural History and the University of Florida, showed that shark attacks decreased dramatically in 2024 and was far below the annual average. "Unprovoked shark bites plummeted in 2024," reads the headline of the report, which characterized the year as "exceptionally calm" for shark bites. Of 88 alleged shark-human interactions that researchers say they investigated last year, 71 bites were confirmed. The report segmented those incidents into unprovoked and provokes bites, of which there were 47 and 24, respectively. Seven of the attacks were fatal, including four unprovoked attacks, according to the research. Those figures did not account for instances where sharks attacked a boat or bit a human who was already dead. Several additional incidents where a person's injuries could not be indisputably attributed to a shark, over another predatory marine creature, were categorized as "unconfirmed" in the report. Confirmed attacks in 2024 dwarfed numbers reported in the previous year's International Shark Attack File, which recognized 91 global incidents, including 69 unprovoked bites and 22 provoked bites. Ten people died in shark attacks in 2023, with six killed in unprovoked attacks, researchers said at the time. The number of attacks last year was "well below" the 10-year average, of about 70 unprovoked shark bites recorded annually, the new report notes. It also calls the four unprovoked attacks a "significant reduction" compared with previous years. The International Shark Attack File considers attacks on a living human in the shark's natural habitat, who did not bother the animal prior to being bitten, "unprovoked." It considers attacks that occur after a human has initiated some sort of contact with the shark "provoked." Divers suffering bites after trying to touch or otherwise harass sharks, attacks on spearfishermen, bites on people who attempted to feed sharks, and bites that happen while a shark is being unhooked or removed from a fishing net, are some examples of scenarios that would meet criteria for a "provoked" attack. Unprovoked bites are of particular interest to the researchers studying shark attack patterns. "We're interested in the natural patterns of shark behavior so that we can understand why people occasionally get bitten by these animals," said Gavin Naylor, the director of the Florida Program for Shark Research, in a statement. "Any cue or attribute that modifies an animal's natural behavior is something that, we as scientists, want to exclude." Places with the most unprovoked shark attacks Most of 2024's unprovoked shark attacks happened in the United States, which follows a longstanding pattern, the new report notes. Last year, there were 28 confirmed shark bites in U.S. waters, accounting for 60% of the worldwide total despite being lower than the 36 unprovoked incidents confirmed in 2023. Half of U.S. attacks took place in Florida in 2024, which is also common for the state often known to experience the highest concentrations of shark bites of anywhere in the world. Like the national total, unprovoked shark bites were down in Florida, where the five-year average is 19 unprovoked attacks. Australia trailed the U.S. total with nine unprovoked bites, a sizable decrease from the country's five-year average of 15. Egypt, the Maldives, Western Sahara, the Turks and Caicos Islands, French Polynesia, Mozambique, India, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Belize each reported one unprovoked shark attack. The fatal attacks occurred in the U.S., Egypt, the Maldives and Western Sahara, with one death confirmed in each place, according to the Shark Attack File. Despite Florida's tally of unprovoked bites, the only U.S. death in a shark attack last year happened in Hawaii when surfer Tamayo Perry was killed off the island of Oahu. The species of shark involved in that attack is unknown, researchers said. New poll on Trump approval rating as steel, aluminum tariffs set Trump, Musk take questions at White House Flu deaths outpace COVID deaths in 22 states for first time since pandemic began
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Shark attacks dropped worldwide last year, Florida museum reports
It was a bit safer to go into the water last year: Unprovoked shark attacks worldwide fell by about a third in 2024 compared to the year before, new data show. The United States continues to be the most likely country in which to get bitten by a shark, according to the annual International Shark Attack File from the Florida Museum of Natural History. Twenty-eight of the 47 unprovoked shark attacks recorded in 2024 occurred in U.S. waters. Shark attacks typically average about 70 per year over a 10-year period, so 2024 numbers were unusually low. Australia ranked second on the list, with multiple bites reported, followed by reports of one attack each from Egypt, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, the Republic of Maldives, Mozambique, French Polynesia, Thailand, and Turks and Caicos. Four of the 47 attacks recorded worldwide in 2024 proved fatal, which is also a marked decline, the Florida team said. Unprovoked attacks do not include injuries that arise after a person intentionally or unintentionally initiates contact with a shark, including spearfishing and releasing sharks from nets or hooks. Within the U.S., Florida had the most shark bites on record last year, at 14, and eight of those occurred in Volusia County, where Daytona Beach is located. Volusia County has long been dubbed the "shark bite capital of the world." "Many of these [Volusia] bites were likely from blacktip sharks, whose breeding grounds stretch along the northeast Florida coastline," the museum said in a news release. "Many of the sharks in this area are juveniles and haven't yet fully developed the ability to distinguish between humans and their natural prey, which includes fish, stingrays and other sharks." Another hotspot for shark bites was the Florida Panhandle. At Watersound Beach and nearby Seacrest Beach near South Walton, Fla., one woman and two teenagers were bitten by sharks on the same day. Bull sharks regularly patrol Florida's north coast, noted Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research. "You'll see 20 to 30 of them patrolling the coast about 500 feet offshore, where they mind their own business," he explained in the news release. The release said that nearby dune lakes that regularly dump freshwater into the sea were reportedly blocked when the attacks occurred. This may have allowed schools of fish, which sharks invariably pursue, to swim closer to shore than they otherwise would have. The beaches of Padre Island, a long barrier island complex near Corpus Christi, Tex., were also the scene of a cluster of shark bites over the July 4 weekend in 2024. Were they caused by the same shark? "We can't preclude that it was the same animal, but what's often overlooked is that the same climatic conditions that bring people into the water are the same conditions that bring sharks closer to shore," Naylor said. In other words, if there's one shark nearby, there are likely more. "This naturally increases the likelihood of human-shark encounters," said Joe Miguez, manager of the International Shark Attack File. "In the case of the Padre Island incidents, it is much more plausible that multiple sharks were present in the area, responding to the same environmental cues." Despite the harrowing stories, you're extremely unlikely to ever encounter a shark attack, the experts said. Water dangers such as drowning in a riptide or a strong current kill far more beachgoers each year, they noted. More information Find out more about beach safety at Stop Drowning Now. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
