Shark Attacks In 2022 At Ten Year Low But Hotspots Seeing More Bites

It’s that time of year once again when we turn eyes to the seas and scan the horizon for dorsal fins with the release of the annual International Shark Attack File (ISAF) from the University of Florida.

The ISAF is the world’s only scientifically documented, comprehensive database of all known shark attacks. Initiated in 1958, there are now more than 6,800 individual investigations covering the period from the early 1500s to the present. And the latest report shows that the number of unprovoked shark attacks worldwide decreased last year, tying with 2020 for the fewest number of reported incidents in the last 10 years.

Investigating 108 alleged human and shark interactions in 2022, there were a total of 57 unprovoked bites and 32 provoked bites, with most occurring in the United States and Australia. Of these, five attacks were fatal, down from nine deaths in 2021 and 10 the year before. Of the 19 others, four were “boat bites”, two were sea disasters where the victim’s boat sank, and four were scavenger bites inflicted post mortem. The remaining were all uncertain as to exactly what had happened and ISAF is still investigating them to find a satisfactory explanation.

The numbers reflect a continuing downward trend with the average number of unprovoked bites per year since 2013 being 74. 2020 remains a notable exception thanks to the global travel restrictions in place from Covid-19, which closed beaches and skewed comparable data. While that decline in bites sounds like a good thing, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History’s Florida Program for Shark Research, Gavin Naylor, sounds a note of caution that it may simply reflect the documented global decline of shark populations, “Generally speaking, the number of sharks in the world’s oceans has decreased, which may have contributed to recent lulls.” However, “It’s likely that fatalities are down because some areas have recently implemented rigorous beach safety protocols, especially in Australia.”

The report focuses on unprovoked attacks because “unprovoked bites give us significantly more insight into the biology and behavior of sharks,” explains Naylor. “Changing the environment such that sharks are drawn to the area in search of their natural food source might prompt them to bite humans when they otherwise wouldn’t.”

Which country has the most shark attacks?

The U.S. continues to lead the way globally with by far the most shark attacks – 41 confirmed cases in 2022, a drop from 47 in 2021. That is, amazingly, 72% of the total worldwide attacks for the year. Within the U.S. Florida continues to report the most attacks of anywhere else in the world with 16 unprovoked bites, none of which was fatal. Of these two were likely from bull sharks and required medical treatment resulting in amputations. A woman snorkeling in the Dry Tortugas was bitten by a lemon shark, notable as they rarely attack humans; it was only the 11th known unprovoked attack from this species. The single unprovoked fatality came late in the year when a snorkeler went missing along Keawakapu Beach in Maui, Hawaii.

Elsewhere, Australia had nine confirmed and non-fatal unprovoked bites, a drop from the annual five-year average of 15, while New Zealand, Thailand and Brazil all saw one attack each. Two fatal attacks occurred on the same tragic day in Egypt’s Red Sea, where shark encounters are still considered rare. South Africa also reported two unprovoked attacks in 2022, both of which were also fatal and likely from great whites.

Several regional areas see a spike in shark attacks

Despite the general downward trend in bites, several areas saw spikes in localized incidents that have raised concerns within some communities. New York saw a record eight unprovoked bites in 2022 where it had only reported 12 in total previously. Long Island in particular has suffered, with researchers pointing to juvenile sand tiger sharks who have taken up residence in the Great South Bay between Long Island and Fire Island.

“The Gulf Stream’s eddies ebb and flow each year. Sometimes they can come very close to shore, bringing nutrients and fish with them. The juvenile sand tigers will follow the fish, which in some cases leads to an uptick in encounters with people,” explained Naylor of the quirk in data. “But local perceptions of shark bites rarely map to global statistics. If you zoom out, these eddies unpredictably break off from oceanic currents all over the world in haphazard ways.

“Juveniles tend to be more experimental and will try things that an adult shark wouldn’t,” Naylor continued. “If fish are especially dense where people are swimming and visibility is poor, then it is more likely that young sharks, which lack the experience of older animals, will mistake a swimmer’s foot for their intended prey.”

Elsewhere it’s hard to avoid that tragic day on January 8 2022 in the Red Sea when two fatal attacks occurred less than a mile from each other. The same shark may have been responsible for both, but at time of writing experts are unsure even of what kind of shark that was – perhaps a mako or a tiger. While shark attacks in the Red Sea are rare, when they do happen they are often fatal, according to Naylor – the unique topography of the region with its steep underwater gouges that mean large pelagic sharks that would usually keep a wide berth of the coast are, in the Red Sea, mere meters from the shore.

“Open oceans are often pretty bleak, and the pelagic sharks that live in them make their living by opportunism. Whatever potential food source they find, they’ll sample,” said Naylor.

Swimmers and waders see more shark attacks than surfers

One area going against the trend is why people are falling victim to unprovoked attacks. In 2022 swimmers and waders overtook surfers and board sports enthusiasts, representing 43% of incidents to 35% respectively. Snorkelers and free divers accounted for 9% of attacks and the remaining 13% split between a variety of activities, from scuba diving to simply diving into the water.

Sharks are at far greater risk from humans than vice versa

Once again this decline in attacks, unprovoked and provoked, alongside the reported decline in shark numbers globally only reinforces the simple truth that sharks are at far greater risk from us than we ever will be from them. The chances of being bitten are incredibly low, and when in the ocean the risk from rip tides and strong currents are far more serious with drowning being the third leading cause of accidental death worldwide.

And if you’re still not convinced, let’s compare the imbalance in human and shark fatalities to see who the true victims are. Globally, the fishing industry kills around 100 million sharks every year, and that’s before considering habitat loss, environmental pollution and other human factors decimating numbers and habitats. The numbers don’t lie and so it remains up to us to protect sharks and with them our ocean habitats. To help with this, ISAF offers resources for reducing your risk of shark bite and instructions for what to do if you’re attacked. And for more resources or to get involved in shark conservation, check out organizations like The Shark Trust and start changing things for the better.