Swimmers Worry about Shark Attacks, Experts Say They Are Rare
2023-05-28
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1Recent shark bites in Florida and Hawaii and a suspected case in New Jersey have raised an age-old summer question for beachgoers - is it safe to go in the water?
2Scientists and researchers who study sharks said the answer to that question is yes, it is safe.
3Dangerous interactions between humans and sharks are uncommon, and serious injuries and deaths from the bites are rare and growing rarer, scientists said.
4Still, the extraordinary nature of shark bites and the stories of survivors capture the imagination.
5In April, the story of a Hawaii surfer fighting off a shark got widespread public attention, for example.
6But, it is a good idea to remember just how rare shark bites truly are, scientists said.
7There have been around 70 to 80 unprovoked shark bites yearly, worldwide, over the past 10 years.
8And not only are shark bites rare, they have been especially rare recently.
9There were only 57 unprovoked bites last year, and just five of them were deadly, reports the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File.
10There had been nine such deaths in 2021.
11The shark attack file reported a year ago that one reason for the drop in bites might be the decrease of shark populations around the world.
12It is too early in the warm season to get an idea of how active this year will be for interactions between humans and sharks, said Greg Skomal.
13He is a shark expert with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.
14"If we get lots of bait fish and forage fish species close to shore, we have a super hot summer that draws people to beaches, more people in the water, then we can determine the risk," Skomal said.
15The United States and Australia are the sites of the most reported shark bites.
16The state of Florida led the world last year with 16 unprovoked bites, the shark attack file said.
17This month, two Florida fishermen were bitten by sharks in separate incidents less than 36 hours apart.
18The rate of shark bites has stayed steady in recent years.
19But, people may think attacks are more common because of new technology to report shark sightings, said Nick Whitney, a lead scientist at the New England Aquarium in Boston.
20Recently developed smartphone apps permit users to report shark sightings in real time.
21White sharks, bull sharks and tiger sharks are the sharks most cited by the International Shark Attack File for unprovoked bites.
22They are large sharks that also cause the most deaths.
23However, remember that many interactions with sharks are with smaller species that are unlikely to cause serious injuries, said James Sulikowski, director of the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station at Oregon State University.
24Those sharks might bite a human, realize we are not their desired prey and move on, he said.
25You are at much greater risk of getting hurt in a car accident on the way to the ocean than you are to get seriously injured by a shark bite when you are there.
26Millions of people go to the ocean in the summer as the weather heats up, and that raises the possibility of interacting with a shark.
27But by taking simple steps, visitors can reduce any chance of a dangerous interaction with a shark, Sulikowski said.
28Such steps include avoiding the water early and late in the day when most sharks hunt for food.
29You should also not carry anything shiny into the water.
30"We are intruders in their environment. What we can do is be logical and safe about that and avoid areas where sharks are going to be feeding," Sulikowski said.
31"When an interaction occurs, it's mistaken identity - we are in an area where a shark is looking to eat."
32I'm Caty Weaver.
1Recent shark bites in Florida and Hawaii and a suspected case in New Jersey have raised an age-old summer question for beachgoers - is it safe to go in the water? 2Scientists and researchers who study sharks said the answer to that question is yes, it is safe. Dangerous interactions between humans and sharks are uncommon, and serious injuries and deaths from the bites are rare and growing rarer, scientists said. 3Still, the extraordinary nature of shark bites and the stories of survivors capture the imagination. In April, the story of a Hawaii surfer fighting off a shark got widespread public attention, for example. But, it is a good idea to remember just how rare shark bites truly are, scientists said. 4How often do shark bites occur? 5There have been around 70 to 80 unprovoked shark bites yearly, worldwide, over the past 10 years. And not only are shark bites rare, they have been especially rare recently. 6There were only 57 unprovoked bites last year, and just five of them were deadly, reports the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File. There had been nine such deaths in 2021. 7The shark attack file reported a year ago that one reason for the drop in bites might be the decrease of shark populations around the world. 8It is too early in the warm season to get an idea of how active this year will be for interactions between humans and sharks, said Greg Skomal. He is a shark expert with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. 9"If we get lots of bait fish and forage fish species close to shore, we have a super hot summer that draws people to beaches, more people in the water, then we can determine the risk," Skomal said. 10What are the most prone areas for shark encounters? 11The United States and Australia are the sites of the most reported shark bites. The state of Florida led the world last year with 16 unprovoked bites, the shark attack file said. 12This month, two Florida fishermen were bitten by sharks in separate incidents less than 36 hours apart. 13The rate of shark bites has stayed steady in recent years. But, people may think attacks are more common because of new technology to report shark sightings, said Nick Whitney, a lead scientist at the New England Aquarium in Boston. Recently developed smartphone apps permit users to report shark sightings in real time. 14What kind of sharks are cause for concern? 15White sharks, bull sharks and tiger sharks are the sharks most cited by the International Shark Attack File for unprovoked bites. They are large sharks that also cause the most deaths. 16However, remember that many interactions with sharks are with smaller species that are unlikely to cause serious injuries, said James Sulikowski, director of the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station at Oregon State University. Those sharks might bite a human, realize we are not their desired prey and move on, he said. 17Is it safe to swim? 18You are at much greater risk of getting hurt in a car accident on the way to the ocean than you are to get seriously injured by a shark bite when you are there. 19Millions of people go to the ocean in the summer as the weather heats up, and that raises the possibility of interacting with a shark. But by taking simple steps, visitors can reduce any chance of a dangerous interaction with a shark, Sulikowski said. Such steps include avoiding the water early and late in the day when most sharks hunt for food. You should also not carry anything shiny into the water. 20"We are intruders in their environment. What we can do is be logical and safe about that and avoid areas where sharks are going to be feeding," Sulikowski said. "When an interaction occurs, it's mistaken identity - we are in an area where a shark is looking to eat." 21I'm Caty Weaver. 22The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. 23_______________________________________________________________________ 24Words in This Story 25provoke -v. to stir up purposely; to incite to anger 26bait -n. something (such as food) used in luring especially to a hook or trap 27forage -v. to wander in search of forage or food 28species - a class of things of the same kind and with the same name 29prey -n. an animal taken by a predator as food 30logical -n. capable of reasoning or of using reason in an orderly cogent fashion 31intruder -n. to thrust oneself in without invitation, permission, or welcome 32occur -v. to happen; to come into existence 33______________________________________________________________________ 34We want to hear from you. What wild animals do you find frightening? 35Here is how our comment system works: 36Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.