7 Foot Bull Shark Attacks Diver Off Riviera Beach

[Reku]

Hmm well ... this was likely to happen - the sharks are hungry....for fish.....not humans. He was unlucky.

 

[iamrushman]

always sad news to hear...hope he recovers to spear another day.....

 

[tekkydiver]

Here's what happened

 

[chillyinCanada]

Gah

 

[BertStevens]

That's going to leave a mark...

 

[HalcyonDaze]

Ouchies. He's lucky he still has the arm - suggests he either hit the bull hard enough to make it let go, or the bull bit him and let go, probably while calling out "Waiter! There was a human in my cobia entree!"

 

[scagrotto]

Do blacktip sharks really inflict a large # of bites on swimmers?

The International Shark Attack file maintains a list of confirmed unprovoked attacks (which excludes those related to spearfishing) where the species was identified, though the data has to be taken with a grain of salt: Species Implicated in Attacks :: Florida Museum of Natural History It says that attacks where the species is identified tend to be skewed towards attacks by easily identified species. Just about anyone should be able to identify a tiger or hammerhead, so witnesses are likely to be able to report the species. In other cases the species will be unknown, and not included in this list. I would expect that the obvious black tip on the dorsal fin would make the blacktip sharks among those that are likely to be identified.

Out of 828 total attacks listed 28 were reported to be by blacktips, (3.5%.), and 11 (1.3%) by blacktip reef sharks. Bull sharks are one of the 3 that are responsible for the most attacks, at 100 (27 of which were fatal). Tigers and Whites are the other two, at 111 (31 fatal) and 314 (80 fatal). FWIW, the fatality percentage is just about the same for all 3 (25.5% to 27.9%). Those 3 account for 525 of the 828 total attacks, which is just over 63%. The 138 fatalities from those 3 is 86% of the 160 total fatalities listed.

Those numbers don't represent all attacks, but they certainly suggest that where the species is known blacktip and blacktip reef sharks represent only a modest percentage of attacks. It's possible that they're responsible for a higher percentage when only attacks on swimmers are counted (the big 3 seem to get a lot of surfers and the occasional kayaker), but it would have to be much higher before it becomes a significant percentage of total attacks.

Whether or not the total number of attacks is a large number is subjective. Given the millions of people that have gone swimming every year for a very long time I'd say it's a pretty small number.

 

[seeker242]

The International Shark Attack file

Also has data specifically for Florida regarding species. "Additional Florida Unprovoked Shark Attack Data"

Species Involved with Unprovoked Shark Attacks in Florida
1926-Present

Blacktip 20%
Bull 20%
Spinner 16%
Hammerhead 13%
Nurse 7%
Sand Tiger 6%
Sandbar5%
Lemon 5%
Tiger 5%
Blue 2%
Mako 1%

However, those numbers are for ALL types of encounters, including surfers and other surface recreation, divers, etc. I would not be surprised if you separate out just "swimmer and waders" that blacktip tops the list, in FL specfically

 

[CuzzA]

Every time I check back on this thread and look at the bite pic, I think to myself, "Forearm shivers are not an effective defense against sharks." Glad to learn he will survive to dive another day.

 

[tekkydiver]

Looks like Kyle will be back in the water before too long
Shark attack survivor eager to get back in water