Hey there, ocean lovers! Who doesn’t love a good day at the beach, right? The sand, the surf, and, of course, a refreshing dip in the ocean. It turns out there’s more to the sea than meets the eye. Cue the “Jaws” theme.
Know the numbers
The International Shark Attack File, the folks who keep a close eye on shark-human interactions in the U.S., revealed the following:
- 40% of shark attack victims were “walking, wading or swimming” during their unplanned meet and greet.
- 32% of the attacks were linked to regular watersports like paddleboarding or water skiing.
- 12% of shark attack victims were snorkeling or freediving.
Shark Central, aka Florida
The International Shark Attack File released shark bites by state. Here are the numbers:
- Florida: 16 attacks
- New York: 8 attacks
- Hawaii: 5 attacks
- California: 4 attacks
- South Carolina: 4 attacks
- North Carolina: 2 attacks
- Alabama: 1 attack
- Texas: 1 attack
I’m not telling you this to freak you out. Trust me. Instead, it’s about realizing that when we’re in the ocean, we’re in shark territory. And respect is critical. As we talk more about shark attacks, it’s super important that we don’t just jump straight to fear and movie-inspired panic.
