Today’s entry: Hey Brian here’s one I’m sure you’ll have an answer for. We keep hearing about these Long Island shark attacks and how surprised some are that they’ve happened in shallow water. It would seem to me most attacks would happen in shallow water because that’s where most people are when they’re in the water. Is that the case?
Bottom Line: Yeah, there’s nothing quite like a shark attack to capture the American imagination. And to that end a quick search of shark attacks will net you endless stories of them (most commonly with pictures of great whites which are seldom responsible for attacks added for extra effect). Sensationalism may have started with the subject in the 70’s with the release of Jaws, but it most certainly hasn’t ended. But yeah, what is different so far this summer is that Florida isn’t at the epicenter of the reporting for a change. The recent string of shark attacks, including two on Wednesday alone, along Long Island has captured the imagination of New York based news media. One of the storylines was how what’s believed to have been a tiger shark attacked a man from behind standing in waist deep water. Potentially being vulnerable in shallow water only adds to the sensationalism of these stories. But your point is right on point. Obviously shark attacks are only going to occur where people are in the water. And most people most of the time are in shallow water. To that end here are the most common conditions for shark attacks in the United States based on data from the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File:
- Sundays
- Under 6-feet of water
- New moon
- August
This isn’t any more complicated to put together than the fact that Florida, the state with the most coastline and highest number of beachgoers, has the highest number of shark attacks. It’s all about opportunity. Sundays tend to be the busiest beach days, most people are in shallow water and use of beaches peeks in during the dog days of summer in August. The only dynamic that probably requires a little explanation is the moon factor. As you likely know the moon heavily influences our tides and thus shark movements within them. Then you take a look at the conditions most common with an attack:
- Murky water
- At the water’s surface
- Those wearing black bathing suits
That obviously speaks to mistaken identity due to low visibility by biting sharks. This info does provide a path to minimizing the already extremely low likelihood of being bitten:
- Avoid the water in the dark (which is also a common feeding time for sharks)
- Don’t wear black (or especially dark) bathing suits
- And if you’re especially diligent you might avoid hitting the water the day of a new moon
- And as the FWC will also advise – if you don't wear jewelry and stay in groups you’ll minimize risk as well
But here’s the thing. It’s truly remarkable how rare attacks are here or anywhere. There have only been 896 registered shark attacks in Florida’s history dating back to 1837. There are more people in Florida’s waters at about any given time than have been bitten by sharks in 185 years. I’ve talked about this here and there over the years as it’s come up, but by virtue of being a water bug who started body surfing in swimmies, I’ve just about seen it all. And the reality is most perceptions tend to be wildly off base. Some people think sharks are everywhere and won’t go in the water past their ankles and that’s just not the case. Others think if they’re in the shallows and if they don’t see a fin they’re not around. That’s not necessarily the case. Commonly people of course think if they are around, they’re wanting to bite us. That’s most certainly not the case. But here’s what I know. I’ve spent thousands of hours in or on the water with numerous direct encounters and not bites to show for it. And when you can see their behavior it’s often surprising. Aside from having commonly observed sharks in proximity to unaware beachgoers without incident over the years, their behavior when they realize what they’re looking at is often defensive as opposed to aggressive. My most recent encounter, two weekends ago, was a good example. In clear water, that was only about 2.5 feet deep an adult black tip quickly swam up to within a couple feet of me before bolting in the opposite direction. That’s what generally happens, it’s just that most people don’t often see it happen. But here’s one more bit of food for thought on the subject. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more bites happen in the future and it may be what’s behind what’s happening along Long Island right now.
We have more tourists enjoying Florida’s beaches than ever before and we hopefully have a recovering shark population as well. It was just two years ago the state banned the possession of a shark fin in the state of Florida. Numerous other states have joined in similar conservation efforts as well with New York, specifically, banning shark fins in 2014. You’ll notice a rise in reports of shark attacks along Long Island starting around 2018 which may be the result of a recovery in populations. So, while we don’t want anyone to be bitten by a shark – should we hear of more of it happening, that’s most likely why and it’d be a silver lining of sorts.
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