Shark bites were unusually low in 2024; here are tips to avoid getting bit in 2025

Yahoo

11-02-2025

After one shark bit a surfer on the foot in 2023, the first known attack at the Shore in 10 years, New Jersey swimmers came out of the waters unscathed by sharks last year.
Overall, here and around the world, shark bites were down in what the the Florida Museum of Natural History called an "exceptionally calm year for shark bites." The museum, which maintains the International Shark Attack File, released its annual report Tuesday in which it verified 71 bites, down 20 from the previous year.
Four of last year's attacks did prove to be fatal but that was fewer than last year when 14 people died from a shark attack.
The International Shark Attack File provides data on what are considered unprovoked bites, defined as incidents in which a person does not initiate contact with a shark. Instances in which a person intentionally or unintentionally initiates contact, including spearfishing and releasing sharks from nets or hooks, are not included in the report.
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'We're interested in the natural patterns of shark behavior so that we can understand why people occasionally get bitten by these animals. Any cue or attribute that modifies an animal's natural behavior is something that, we as scientists, want to exclude,' said Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research.
The 71 bites for 2024 includes provoked and unprovoked attacks. Last year there were 24 unprovoked bites and 47 provoked bites. The 10-year average for unprovoked attacks is 70 per year, so 2024 was significantly less sharky than the average.
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The United States consistently has the highest number of unprovoked bites, a trend that continued last year with a total of 28 reported incidents. An attack by an unknown shark species off the northwest coast of Oahu, Hawaii resulted in the only unprovoked fatality in the U.S.
Out of all the states, Florida had the most bites with a total of 14. Of these, eight occurred in Volusia County, which bears the unofficial title of shark bite capital of the world. New Smyrna Beach and Daytona Beach are located in Volusia County.
Though unconfirmed, many of the bites in Florida were likely from blacktips whose breeding grounds stretch along the northeast Florida coastline, according to the museum's report. 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, according to the museum. A bull shark was identified in one attack along the Florida Panhandle.
The rest of the bites in the U.S. occurred in Hawaii, four; Texas, four; California three; South Carolina, two; and North Carolina, one.
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The most occurrences of shark bites happened on the July 4 weekend, when there were six shark attacks — five unprovoked and one unprovoked — in Florida and Texas.
Outside the country, Australia had the most unprovoked bites with nine. Ten other countries all had single bites, including one in the Red Sea off Egypt's coast in which a man reportedly swimming outside a designated safety area was killed. Other countries include Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas, the Maldives, Mozambique, French Polynesia, Thailand and the Turks and Caicos.
An unusual incident off the coast of Western Sahara marked the first reported shark attack for that region. A German tourist sailing on a British catamaran traveling from the Canary Islands was attacked while swimming alongside the boat. The incident occurred in remote international waters, and it took several hours for an emergency crew to reach the scene by helicopter. The woman died from her injuries on the return trip.
The fourth and final death occurred in the Maldives.
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Swimmers and waders accounted for 50% of the shark bites in 2024, while surfers made up 34% of the victims and snorkelers and free divers made up 8%. The museum listed 8% of the victims as "others."
While surfers may look like seals to a hungry shark below, Naylor said there's another reason why surfers get bit.
'People surf where there are good waves, and where there are good waves, there's turbidity, and where there's turbidity, there are often bait fish that attract sharks. The turbidity also reduces visibility in the water, making it harder for sharks to see. Some of them make mistakes,' Naylor said.
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The chances of being bitten by a shark remain incredibly low. Drowning and coastal features like rip tides and strong currents pose a greater risk to beachgoers than sharks.
To reduce your chances of getting bit by a shark the museum suggests:
Always stay with a buddy, since sharks are more likely to approach a solitary individual.
Avoid being in the water during low light hours (dawn or dusk) and at night when many sharks are most active and feeding.
Avoid areas near fishermen, do not wear flashy jewelry and refrain from excess splashing. Sharks can hear the low-frequency sounds from splashing and may investigate to see if there is a fish/prey in distress.
When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: How many sharks bit people in 2024, and what does that mean for 2025?