Latest news with #InternationalSharkAttackFile
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
A shark attack survivor says to do this if you come face to fin with a great white
You're treading cold ocean water off Cape Cod and, suddenly, you're not alone - a great white shark has confused you for a bobbing grey seal, and is hoping for a lucky bite. What do you do? Former Australian Navy diver and shark attack survivor, Paul de Gelder, who lost his right hand and leg in a 2009 Sydney Harbor attack, says the key to ensuring your survival lies in your behavior. First, stay cool and collected, he told 'CBS Mornings' this week - no matter how hard that may be. "I know it goes against all natural instincts of preservation, not to panic, but that's the most important thing you can do," the 47-year-old said. 'You have to understand these sharks don't really know what you are, you're almost the same size as them, and they don't want to fight." Second, he said, be aware of where the shark is at all times by staring the apex predator down. 'They know when you're watching, they don't want to attack you when you're watching" he explained. Lastly, resist the urge to punch the creature — unless you absolutely have to. Pushing the sharks can guide them away from you, but divers advise people not to grab their faces. 'Because under their snouts are highly sensitive pores called the Ampullae of Lorenzini — tiny receptors that detect electrical signals. Touching that area can overstimulate them, causing a shark to reflexively open its mouth wide,' SDM Diving says. However, sharks respect size and power and people should not act passively during an encounter. Beachgoers have gotten away from sharks by taking swings at their noses and eyes. De Gelder tried to do the same, but was unsuccessful. Should the shark become aggressive, shark researcher Ryan Johnson previously told the BBC that people should try to do everything in their power and keep their hands out the animals' jaws. Ideally, they should use something hard to push the shark away. 'In a situation where you don't have that, going for the face and the gills and trying to keep your hands out of its mouth is always the best thing,' he said. Experts at the Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File say people should aim for the eyes and gills, but note that water resistance weakens a punch. Of course, the chance of any of this happening is incredibly remote. A human is more likely to bite you than a shark and a Stanford University report from 2015 found that surfers and scuba divers have a one in 17 million and one in 136 million chance of being bitten, respectively. More often than not, a bite is the case of mistaken identity and potentially the result of low vision in great whites. Last year, the number of unprovoked bites were significantly lower than average, in the U.S. and globally. There were 28 in the U.S., compared to the 36 reported in 2023. Still, to be safe, there are things people can do before they enter the water to minimize their chance of a bite, including not entering the water where there's a lot of fish, not going into the water alone or at dawn or dusk, when vision may be low. De Gelder, who is part of a new Discovery Channel special called 'How to Survive a Shark Attack,' previously told the Australian Broadcasting Company that he was wearing a wet suit and black fins, likely 'looking like an injured seal' to the shark that attacked him. "I want to show people by doing," he told CBS.
USA Today
6 days ago
- USA Today
Canadian tourist severely injured after shark bite at Florida beach, officials say
A Canadian tourist was seriously injured and hospitalized in south Florida after a shark attack, according to officials. The man, who is in his 40s, was at a beach in Hollywood, Florida, 21 miles north of Miami, when the shark attack occurred July 22 at 2:50 p.m. local time, Chai Kauffman, the Hollywood Fire Rescue and Beach Safety public information officer told USA TODAY. Emergency officials responded to the scene, where they found the man with "severe lacerations to the upper arm area," Kauffman said. They were able to apply a tourniquet and take the victim to a hospital where he underwent surgery. The victim declined to speak to the press, but he is in stable condition, according to Kauffman. Shark sightings: Massive 13-foot great white shark pings off New England coast 'There was a big splash' The victim, who was visiting Florida with friends and family, was in chest-deep water with a friend when a fish jumped over his head. "Right after that, there was a big splash, and he noticed that he was injured," Kauffman, who retold the story on the victim's behalf, said. The victim then walked to the shore, sat on the sand, and nearby beach goers rendered aid to him with towels until EMS arrived. At the hospital, it was confirmed that a shark bite caused his injury, Kauffman said. This is the first shark attack to occur in Hollywood in 2025. 11 shark attacks so far in 2025 As of July 22, 11 shark attack bites have been reported in the U.S., six of which were in Florida, according to Tracking Sharks. In 2024, the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File confirmed that 47 unprovoked shark bites and 24 provoked bites occurred worldwide. It investigated a total of 88 alleged shark attacks. "The total number of unprovoked shark bites worldwide remains extremely low," the museum stated on its website. "Fatalities saw a decrease over the past year." Surfer bitten by shark days before Hollywood Beach attack On July 18, a shark bit Aaron Jenkins, 18, while he was surfing in New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County, Florida, 58 miles northeast of Orlando, Florida, according to USA TODAY's previous reporting. "It just kind of felt like something clamping down really hard, and then it kind of felt hot, because the teeth obviously, you know, started to dig into my skin," Hollis told NBC's Today. The attack is the second to occur at the beach, which is located in the county that is the self-proclaimed "Shark Bite Capital of the World." Contributing: Melina Khan, USA TODAY Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Iconic ‘Jaws' Movie Poster Has 1 Major Mistake
The poster from the 1975 movie Jaws is one of the most recognizable pieces of movie key art of all time—but it's not completely accurate. Fifty years ago, the blockbuster film about a great white shark terrorizing beachgoers was plugged with a drawing of a shark that was not a great white. In a video post to Instagram, New York's American Museum of Natural History curatorial associate of Ichthyology, Ryan Thoni, revealed that the huge fish on the poster bearing its sharp teeth as a woman swims above is actually a smaller and less deadly species. 'The toothy fish in question is actually based on a specimen housed here in the ichthyology collection of the American Museum of Natural History. And that specimen? Not a great white,' he said. 'It's actually a shortfin mako shark. And it's still housed in our collection today." Thoni then uncovered the museum's mako—with the famous Jaws poster clearly in the background— showing it to be a dead ringer for the movie shark. 'Back in the 1970s, the renowned artist Roger Kastel visited the museum seeking inspiration for a film poster he was working on-- Jaws,' Thoni explained. 'He took photos of the shark models, including this one made from a shortfin mako, which eventually became the key art for the now iconic movie poster.' Although fast, makos are much smaller than the great white portrayed in Jaws, and accounts of them trying to attack humans are very rare, per Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File. While doing his research, Kastel likely thought the less-fearsome mako was a great white, but he also admitted to taking some artistic liberties when first creating the drawing for the paperback version of the Peter Benchley book that inspired the movie. 'I did a very rough sketch, and [the publisher] said, 'That's great, just make the shark realistic and bigger. Make him very much bigger!'' Kastel once said, according to Deadline. Despite the discrepancy with the shark species, the poster was a success because Kastel's shark was indeed terrifying. Kastel's original 20x30-inch Jaws painting went missing after the movie came out, so it was likely stolen. In a 2014 interview with Collector's Weekly, he revealed, 'It was hanging at the Society of Illustrators in New York. It was framed because it was on a book tour, and then it went out to Hollywood for the movie. I expected it to come back, but it never did.' June 20, 2025, marked the 50th anniversary of 'Jaws' Movie Poster Has 1 Major Mistake first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 21, 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
USA Today
21-07-2025
- USA Today
'I didn't see it': Surfer bitten by shark in second attack at Florida beach this month
An 18-year-old surfer was bitten by a shark at New Smyrna Beach in Florida, marking the second such attack at the beach this month. The male victim sustained a shark bite on his foot while surfing on Friday, July 18, Aaron Jenkins, deputy chief of Volusia County Beach Safety, confirmed to USA TODAY. Sam Hollis, a surf instructor, told NBC's Today he was able to swim to safety after the sudden attack that happened "in the blink of an eye." "It just kind of felt like something clamping down really hard, and then it kind of felt hot, because the teeth obviously, you know, started to dig into my skin," Hollis told Today. "I didn't see it beforehand, I didn't hear it or anything. It just kind of yanked me," Hollis told the outlet. It marks the second shark attack this month at the beach, which is known as the self-proclaimed "Shark Bite Capital of the World," according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. On July 6, a 40-year-old man was bitten by a shark on his right forearm as he swam in the ocean, per the News-Journal. So far in 2025, four shark bites have been reported in Volusia County, Jenkins said. Surfer bitten by shark had non life-threatening injuries, officials say Around noon local time on July 18, an 18-year-old male surf camp instructor was paddling to a sandbar when he attempted to jump and push his board over a wave, according to a report of the incident. At that time, the shark bit his left foot, causing lacerations. The surfer kicked the shark on the nose to get it to release from his foot. He told officials he barely saw the shark but said it was large, according to the report. Lifeguards arrived on scene to treat the man, who was then transported to a hospital with "non life-threatening injuries," Jenkins said. Four shark bites in one Florida county this year, officials say Jenkins said the July 18 incident marks the fourth shark bite in Volusia County, Florida, so far this year. Most recently, a 40-year-old man was bitten on his arm at New Smyrna Beach on July 6. He sustained non life-threatening injuries, according to the News-Journal. Volusia County leads the nation in shark bites each year, though they are typically non-fatal, according to data from the International Shark Attack File. Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at
Boston Globe
20-07-2025
- Science
- Boston Globe
Here's what shark experts do to stay safe in the ocean
You're more likely to die falling into a hole at the beach, in a riptide or in an alligator attack than from a shark bite, according to data from the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File. Last year, the museum recorded 47 unprovoked bites worldwide. 'They're not these monster killers that just come flying in whenever there's bait,' said Neil Hammerschlag, a shark researcher based in Nova Scotia, Canada, who charters cage-diving expeditions to bring tourists up close to blue, mako and great white sharks. 'They're very cautious.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Hammerschlag, who's been studying sharks for 24 years, said some are more curious about the color of the boat or the sound of the engine than the 20 pounds of sushi-grade tuna he brings on each trip as bait. Advertisement Chris Lowe, the director of the Shark Lab at California State University in Long Beach, said he has 'hundreds, if not thousands of hours footage' of sharks near the shore in California. And, most of the time, they're there to relax, he said. For three years, researchers in Lowe's lab surveyed 26 beaches from Santa Barbara to San Diego with drones and saw sharks swim right under surfers without changing course. 'It's like they are ignoring us,' he said. 'We're just flotsam, not food or foe.' Advertisement The Washington Post asked Hammerschlag and Lowe what they do and the advice they give beachgoers who want to avoid a shark encounter. Be aware of your surroundings Lowe said when he's out in the water he spends some time looking behind himself and others, 'like checking my mirrors when I'm driving.' Sharks are stealthy and try to approach other animals from behind. Don't treat the ocean like Disneyland, Lowe said. You're in a wild place where you can't eliminate all risks. His advice: Be vigilant. It will reduce your likelihood of a shark swimming up too closely to investigate you. And, do your homework about the body of water you're swimming in. 'Who are you going to be sharing the ocean with? Is it sharks? Is it stingrays?' Lowe said. 'When we go in the ocean, we are entering someone else's home.' Avoid swimming at dawn, dusk and night Sharks may confuse a human foot for a fish, or a surfboard for a seal, when visibility is poor, such as in lowlight conditions. Sharks use their mouth and teeth to inspect what's in front of them like we use our hands, Hammerschlag said. 'Most shark bites of people are not predatory,' he said. 'When sharks have bitten people, it seems that they're investigatory or mistaken identity.' Don't wear reflective jewelry in the water The light glimmering off jewelry can look like a fish scale to a shark, Hammerschlag said. He adds reflective stickers to the cage he uses on diving expeditions to try to catch a shark's attention. Don't swim near someone who's fishing A fish caught on a line could get the attention of a shark. 'Those vibrations are like ringing the dinner bell for a shark,' Hammerschlag said. Advertisement However, it can help to swim near other people, Lowe said, since groups of people might be more intimidating than solo swimmers. Don't swim where there's an 'unusual amount of fish activity' If you see fish jumping out of water or birds diving for a meal, there could be a 'bait ball' of fish nearby, and that's a feeding opportunity for sharks, Hammerschlag said. There's a myth that a pod of dolphins can ward off sharks. But, he said, the opposite may be the case. 'If there's a big bait ball of fish that dolphins are feeding on, the sharks could be feeing on that, as well,' Hammerschlag said. Don't panic when you spot a shark If you see a shark in the water, don't panic and swim away, Hammerschlag said. If you do, the shark might see you as prey. And, 'you're not going to outswim a shark,' he said. Instead, orient your body so you're always facing the shark and maintain eye contact, Hammerschlag said. Sharks can't sneak up on you if there's no element of surprise. 'You're showing the shark that you see it, and you're responding to it,' he said. 'And that is not a situation that a hunting shark wants to be in.' If you're scuba diving, you can also sit on the ocean floor; sharks tend to approach potential prey from below, Hammerschlag said.
