This Florida county is the Shark Bite Capital of the World. How often do bites happen? (2024)

Sharks.

There's a special week on TV dedicated to them.

They've been the subject of numerous movies, starting with what's considered to be the first major shark movie, "Jaws," in 1975.

People love to search Florida beaches to collect their teeth. And they have plenty of them to lose.

And speaking of Florida, the Sunshine State has the unenviable title of leading the United States, which leads the world, in the number of unprovoked shark bites.

And Volusia County in Florida has the title of "Shark Bite Capital of the World."

The Florida Museum maintains the International Shark Attack File. It's 2023 shark attack report shows there were 69 confirmed unprovoked cases of shark bites worldwide in 2023. The U.S. continues to lead the world in the highest number of unprovoked shark bites, and in the U.S., Florida is the state with the most bites.

Here's a look at what happened in 2023.

How many shark bites were there worldwide in 2023?

The Florida Museum of Natural History’sInternational Shark Attack Fileinvestigated 120 alleged shark-human interactions worldwide in 2023. Sixty-nine were confirmed as unprovoked shark bites on humans and 22 were found to be provoked bites.

Breakdown of 2023 reports around the world:

How does 2023 compare to other years when it comes to shark bites?

The 69 confirmed unprovoked cases is in line with the most recent five-year (2018-2022) average of 63 incidents annually, according to Florida Museum.

How many fatal shark bites happened in 2023?

There were 14 confirmed shark-related fatalities this year, 10 of which were considered unprovoked. Two occurred in the U.S.

2023 more than doubles 5-year average of fatal shark bites

The 14 shark-related fatalities is higher than the five-year annual global average of six unprovoked fatalities per year.

Three of the unprovoked fatalities were due to bites from white sharks on surfers in Australia.

Florida Museum said the increase in fatalities in 2023 could reflect year-to-year variation, "but it might also be the consequence of the increasing number of white sharks seen at aggregation sites near beaches that are popular with surfers (particularly in Australia)."

Top 5 locations for unprovoked shark bites worldwide

According to the International Shark Attack File, the top 5 locations for unprovoked shark bites are:

United States: 36, with 2 fatal
Australia: 15, with 4 fatal
New Caledonia: 3, with 1 fatal
Brazil, 3, with no fatalities
Egypt: 2, with 1 fatal

TheUnited Statesrecorded the most unprovoked shark bites in 2023, with 36 confirmed cases. This is slightly lower than the 41 incidents recorded in 2022.

Florida tops US in number of unprovoked shark bites

Florida continues to be the No. 1 location for the number of shark bites.

There were 16 bites — although none were fatal — confirmed in 2023. That's lower than Florida's historic average of 19 incidents a year.

Florida: 16 bites, none fatal
Hawaii: 8 bites, 1 fatal
New York: 4 bites, none fatal
California: 2 bites, 1 fatal
North Carolina: 3 bites, none fatal
South Carolina: 2 bites, none fatal
New Jersey: 1 bite, none fatal

Volusia County in Florida is the shark bite capital of the world

In Florida, Volusia County had the most shark bites, eight, representing 50% of the state’s total, Florida Museum said.

What are people doing when they're bitten by sharks?

According to Florida Museum, here's what people were doing when bitten by a shark:

Surfing/board sports: 42%
Swimming/wading: 39%
Snorkeling/free diving: 13%
Other: 6%

Florida East Coast sees most of state's shark attacks

While there have been shark bites around the state, two things stand out:

There have been no reported shark bites in the Big Bend area.
The majority of shark bites happen along Florida's East Coast, especially between Jacksonville and Palm Beach County.

Top 10: Confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in Florida from 1882 to present

Volusia County: 351
Brevard County: 158
Palm Beach County: 83
St. Johns County: 45
Duval County: 46
Martin County: 41
St. Lucie County: 39
Indian River County: 22
Monroe County: 21
Miami-Dade County: 20

➤ See the complete list.

➤ View Florida shark attacks map

What type of shark is attributed to most unprovoked bites in Florida?

Requiem: 36% (see below)
Bull: 16%
Blacktip: 15%
Spinner: 9%
Hammerhead: 8%
Sandbar: 7%
Tiger: 2%
Nurse: 2%
Lemon: 3%
Mako: 1%
Blue: 1%

Examples of requiem sharks include blacktip,spinner, andsandbarsharks.

"Due to the similarity of small coastal species in this group in tooth shape, body size, and appearance, it is often difficult to assign a species in bite cases. Based on life history traits, ISAF suspectsblacktip sharks account for the majority of these requiem bites in Florida," Florida Museum said.

What are the chances of being bitten by a shark?

People are 30 times more likely to be struck by lightning in Florida than to be bitten by a shark, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The Florida Museum puts the odds of being attacked by a shark at 1 in 11.5 million.

When do most shark attacks happen in Florida?

From 1926 to present, the Florida Museum said shark attacks by month are:

September: 109
August: 88
July: 77
October: 73
June: 64
April: 64
May 51
March: 44
November: 44
February: 14
December: 12
January: 6

What are the worst times to go into the water in Florida? When do most attacks happen?

From 1926 to present, the Florida Museum said most attacks have happened from 2 to 3 p.m. Here is the breakdown of the most unprovoked attacks:

2-3 p.m.: 72
11 a.m.-noon: 62
1-2 p.m.: 53
4-5 p.m.: 52
noon-1 p.m.: 51

Can you catch sharks in Florida?

Yes, although some species are prohibited, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

A shark course, along with a shore-based shark fishing permit, are both required when fishing for sharks from shore and must be renewed annually.

The bag limit is one shark per person per day or two sharks per vessel. The size depends on the type of shark.

Sharks that are prohibited from harvest in state waters include:

Atlantic angel
Basking
Bigeye sand tiger
Bigeye sixgill
Bigeye thresher
Bignose
Caribbean reef
Caribbean sharpnose shark
Dusky
Galapagos
Great hammerhead
Lemon shark
Longfin mako
Narrowtooth
Night
Sandbar
Sand tiger
Scalloped hammerhead
Sevengill
Shortfin mako
Silky
Sixgill shark
Smalltail
Smooth hammerhead
Spiny dogfish
Tiger shark
Whale
White

"Prohibited shark species must remain in the water with the gills submerged when fishing from shore or from a vessel, and prohibited shark species must be released without delay when fishing from the shore. If hook removal will delay release, cut the hook or the leader as close to the hook as possible," the FWC said.

What is an unprovoked shark bite compared to a provoked shark bite?

“Unprovoked bitesare defined as incidents in which a bite on a live human occurs in the shark’s natural habitat with no human provocation of the shark.

“Provoked bites occur when a human initiates interaction with a shark in some way. These include instances when divers are bitten after harassing or trying to touch sharks, bites on spearfisherman, bites on people attempting to feed sharks, bites occurring while unhooking or removing a shark from a fishing net and so forth," according to Florida Museum.

Can you avoid being bitten by a shark?

Although the risk of a shark bite is very small, there are ways tominimize the risks, according to the Florida Museum:

Always stay with a buddy, since sharks are more likely to approach a solitary individual.
Do not wander too far from shore. Being far from shore also isolates you from any emergency assistance.
Exercise caution when occupying the area between sandbars or near steep dropoffs, these are favorite hangouts for sharks.
Avoid being in the water during low light hours (dawn or dusk) and at night when many sharks are most active and feeding.
Sharks have never been shown to be attracted to the smell of human blood, however, it may still be advisable to stay out of the water if bleeding from an open wound.Menstrual bloodin the water could be detected by a shark, just like any urine or other bodily fluids. However, there is no positive evidence that menstruation is a factor in shark bites.
Wearing shiny jewelry is discouraged because the reflected light may resemble the sheen of fish scales.
Avoid areas with known effluents or sewage and those being used by sport or commercial anglers, especially if there are signs of bait fishes or feeding activity. Diving seabirds are good indicators of these fishes’ presence.
Avoid water being used by recreational or commercial anglers.
Sightings of porpoises or dolphins do not indicate the absence of sharks, both often eat the same food items.
Use extra caution when waters are murky, some shark species will have just as much trouble seeing as you.
Avoid uneven tanning, bright-colored and/or high contrasting clothing, sharks see contrast particularly well.
Refrain from excess splashing, particularly in a single spot. Sharks can hear the low-frequency sounds from splashing and may investigate to see if there is a fish/prey in distress.
Do not enter the water if sharks are known to be present. Slowly and calmly evacuate the water if sharks are seen.