Sep 04 2008
New Smyrna Beach - Florida - Shark Attack Capital of the World
The image above is a aerial photo of New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The dark shapes in the water are Blacktip and Spinner Sharks. New Smyrna is now officially the shark attack capital of the world. It has registered 19 attacks in 2008 alone!!! There were 74 unprovoked attacks globally in 2007 (image and statistics courtesy of the International Shark Attack File). The 19th attack at New Smyrna Beach was the 4th attack in 2 weeks at the beach. Concerned? I think I might be. Although I’m a bit more puzzled as to why people keep swimming and surfing there. To give you an idea, the attacks so afar at New Smyra Beach in 2008 alone is 1/3 of the global attacks of 2007! I posted earlier on statistics of the risk of death from a shark attack (pretty much nill), but I wouldn’t discount a risk of an attack in New Smyrna.
5ones and the Fear Beneath both report on the attacks. Check the Fear Beneath for more detailed reports on the attacks. Too bad for surfers in the area because the Altantic is sending a slew of hurricanes there way right now. Meanwhile popular surf spots in California’s Red Triangle have had a string of shark sightings including sightings at Ocean Beach, San Francisco and Stinson Beach, Marin County. Not hugely surprising considering it is the Red Triangle.
Here’s a photo a photographer, Kem McNair, caught earlier this year of a spinner shark jumping out of a wave with a surfer on it at New Smyrna Beach.
I was thinking of heading to New Smyrna Beach at the end of December but now I’m considering changing my plans due to all the shark bite stories.
Is there a “shark season”?
Are there beter times to go there than others?
I would have thought that being cold blooded creatures, as the water temperature dropped they would seek warmer conditions.
Is any different on the Gulf side?
good questions, i’ll ask on of our shark experts and get back to you. are you going there to surf? i don’t get what’s with that one beach and the sharks, but I also don’t get what’s with surfers and everyone keep on going there. isn’t florida one huge beach?!
Kem McNair here, The inlet at New Smyrna is probably the most consistent wave on the east coast of the US , a whole lot of people surf in florida. When the waves are small there is always a rideable wave in New Smyrna. So sharks or not, there are surfers in the water. if the water is clear there are usually no bites. it’s when the water is dirty, the sharks mistake feet and hands for fish and take a taste. We must not taste good, because they always let go and swim away, and you go get some stitches. the worst this year was 76 stitches in the calf. and no one left the water except the shark bite victim. I was an eyewitness! new record last week 22 attacks,and counting.
kem
I am interested in Evan’s reply to Malowe’s question. We go to New Smyrna every Feb with our 5 young children. They mostly splash around. What are the risks for them?
The dirty little (non-)secret of shark attack reporting is this:
you are far more likely to be injured in the car on the way to the beach than you are to be attacked by a shark.
should the risk of attack alter your behavior? debatable. avoid murky, rivermouth-type areas, dawn and dusk, recent sightings, etc. - standard precautions.
my point, however, is that there are much more statistically important things to worry about with regards to raising your children…
just don’t tell anyone else.
I just returned from a wonderful week long family vacation in New Smyrna Beach, and was shocked to find all of this shark attack business out now! I was wondering why my wife kept insisting I “swim out a little farther” while carrying that chum bucket.
[…] In case you don’t think that’s a lot of shark attacks, consider that in 2007 there were 74 shark attacks globally! My question is why is anyone out there surfing at all?! The Fear Beneath reports on the last […]
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