The Number of Fatal Shark Attacks Doubled in 2023 0 10

Statistics show that the United States experienced the highest number of unprovoked attacks: 36 cases accounted for 52% of the total worldwide, yet only two of them resulted in fatalities.

Among the victims of shark attacks, the majority were surfers, who accounted for 42% of all bites, while 39% of attacks occurred on swimmers.

The research group found that most fatalities in 2023 were associated with great white, tiger, and bull sharks. The increase in casualties is attributed to the growing number of people in the ocean, as well as heightened attention to reports of bites and fatalities.

According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) at the University of Florida, about 16 people were bitten by sharks in Florida, and two died in California and Hawaii.

One death was also recorded in the Bahamas, Egypt, Mexico, and New Caledonia, along with additional attacks in Brazil, the Bahamas, and South Africa.

“This is within the normal range of bites, although the increase in fatalities this year raises some concerns,” noted Gavin Naylor, director of the shark research program at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

Dangerous Predator

Although three species of sharks—the great white, tiger, and bull—are known as dangerous marine predators, researchers emphasize that it is their size that makes bites fatal.

Typically, when a shark mistakenly takes a human for prey, it swims away after a single bite, but due to the large size of these species, one bite can lead to a fatal outcome.

Despite the increase in casualties in 2023, marine biologists argue that the rise in shark attacks is more related to increasing population density. As more people enter the water, the likelihood of a shark attack increases.

For example, in Australia, four people died as a result of unprovoked shark attacks. However, experts note that such a number of fatalities is due to the high population of white and bull sharks.