The general public
is at once fascinate
d and horrified
by the idea of being attacked by a shark
of an attack is often reported at least nation-wide
, if not internationally. This dissemination
by the media, compounded with the powerful image of the shark and the irresponsible journalism
involved in the production of such "documentaries
" as SHARK ATTACK!!
lead people to fear swim
ming in the ocean
. In fact, many vacationers will refuse
to swim in the ocean for fear of being attacked by a shark
. This fear is unfounded, as the risk
of being attacked by a shark is infinitessimally small
Worldwide, there are roughly 70-100 attacks by sharks upon humans annually and of these attacks, between 5-15 deaths will occur. This may seem like a large number, but in comparison with the number of people using the ocean recreatively, the risk of attack is extremely small.
It is difficult to determine exactly what the relative risk of attack by a shark is for any one bather, given that the number of bathers worldwide is uncertain. However, for a more restricted region some estimates may be made. We can make the following comparisons based on data available within the United States:
Nation-wide, there were 18 people injured by Sharks in 1996. Over the same time period, there was an enormous number of people injured performing home repairs:
In 1981, there were 12 shark attacks all across the United States. That same year, in New York City alone, there were:
- For five states (Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas):
- During a time period spanning at least a decade for each state, there were 1.1 alligator attacks per annum, on average. These attacks resulted in 8 total fatalities. During the same time period, there were roughly 1.2 shark attacks per annum, but only 6 fatalities.
- From 1959-1990, on average 16.1 people were struck by lightning per state per annum, resulting in an average of 4.6 deaths. During the same period, 1.35 people were attack by sharks per state per annum, resulting in an average of 0.032 deaths.
It could be mention
ed that such risk comparisons are fallacious
given that they do not involve recreational use of the water. It is also known, however, from Australia
n data, that the risks of drowning, being killed surfing
are far greater than being attacked by a shark.