Shark attacks in Florida

[ScubaMarine]

So anyone know what the statistic is for sharks bitting divers. I'm not concerned about the ones at the beach. That doen't mean I don't care it just means I'm seldom at the beach.

I found this website, if anything its interesting. Of course when they refer to divers as the largest group of people being attacked they are also including free divers.

http://www.sharkresearchcommittee.com/statistics.htm

I think the number of attacks on divers in the last 50 years, was 50. If anyone else has seen some credible places to find out more I would be interested in checking them out as well.

 

[ScubaMarine]

I think the anti-shark thing is way over done. Someone comparred it to deaths from mad cow and another to hitting a dear on the road. However, when your quoting statistics consider the number of people who eat steak or drivers on the road in dear country and compare that to the number who put their feet in waters inhabited by sharks. That sort of put's a different light on it huh.
.

I've thought on this point a little bit. You are right. Its probably more accurate to equate attacks and fatalities caused by sharks to gorillas or elephants. All of these animals are considered rarities in their own way. Very few people on a global scale have the opportunity to see these animals outside of a zoo or aquarium.

Even so most of the attacks by the other animals probably occur in zoos. I was unable to find any stats on attacks by the other animals, which says something. Though im not sure what it is. I do think I would be more comfortable 10 feet from a shark than 10 feet from wild elephant.

Tell me more what you mean by "the anti-shark thing is way overdone".

 

[drperi1]

Sorry but i am sooooo sick of the sensationalism of shark attacks, how many people were killed by cows last year?
How many more people swim off the beaches of Florida then everywhere else in the US? Of course there are more shark attacks there, more people swimming in warm waters where sharks are more prevalent therefore statistics say more people will be mistakenly attacked...duh!
The media sensationalism is soo bad for a species that already has a bad name.

The shark is so threatened and under attack from finning that we as divers need to do all we can to help this creature if we want to continue to enjoy interacting with this amazing creature in the future

I was on some weird site that listed the number of people killed by a slip & fall in their own bathtub, & the numbers were in the 100's! So be very, very careful re: the ol' bathtub- you never know when it's going to get you!

 

[cdiver2]

I've thought on this point a little bit. You are right. Its probably more accurate to equate attacks and fatalities caused by sharks to gorillas or elephants. All of these animals are considered rarities in their own way. Very few people on a global scale have the opportunity to see these animals outside of a zoo or aquarium.

Even so most of the attacks by the other animals probably occur in zoos. I was unable to find any stats on attacks by the other animals, which says something. Though im not sure what it is. I do think I would be more comfortable 10 feet from a shark than 10 feet from wild elephant.

Tell me more what you mean by "the anti-shark thing is way overdone".

By other animals other than a zoo may not be as rare as you think, just not reported in the US as it not a big concern or news hear. Case in point a few months ago there was a documentary on NG about a chimpanzee that had killed and ate a number of infants and attacked at least one female adult. Nothing on the news in the US that I know about.
I think there is probably a lot of attacks by other animals just not in the US so it doe's not hit the news in the US.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

To me if its dark its night. So where do the sharks go between sunset and dawn?

the same place they go between dawn and sunset.

 

[cdiver2]

the same place they go between dawn and sunset.

The last attack they spoke of was between dawn and sunset and on the beach.

If you go back to the orignal post and read it, it said
*Researchers said sharks are most active during dawn, dusk and NIGHT*.
Perhaps you know more than the researchers at Mote.

 

[RoadWarrior]

Anti-shark.... sentiment negative toward sharks. Making them out to be vicious aggressive attacking creatures. I think that's over done and it's done more out of fright than from reality.

I'm not green peace by any stretch but I am against Asian fining for profit.

I don't mind admitting that I'm not confortable near a shark underwater. Afraid? NO! But I'm not especially confortable either.

I've thought on this point a little bit. You are right. Its probably more accurate to equate attacks and fatalities caused by sharks to gorillas or elephants. All of these animals are considered rarities in their own way. Very few people on a global scale have the opportunity to see these animals outside of a zoo or aquarium.

Even so most of the attacks by the other animals probably occur in zoos. I was unable to find any stats on attacks by the other animals, which says something. Though im not sure what it is. I do think I would be more comfortable 10 feet from a shark than 10 feet from wild elephant.

Tell me more what you mean by "the anti-shark thing is way overdone".

 

[RoadWarrior]

I was on some weird site that listed the number of people killed by a slip & fall in their own bathtub, & the numbers were in the 100's! So be very, very careful re: the ol' bathtub- you never know when it's going to get you!

See this is the kind of statistic that just simply doesn't fit. There's 6.5 billion people on earth. If 1/3 take baths 3 times a week then there are 6.5 billion chances each week that someone could slip causing a fatal accident. How many people do you estimate would be in the ocean and within stricking distance of a shark during any given week? Well it isn't anywhere near 6.5 billion.

You can't compare the number of annual bath tub accidents to the annual number of shark attacks. A stistical mismatch.

 

[RoadWarrior]

Remember me? I'm still thinking about it. Are you?
cj

See this is the kind of statistic that just simply doesn't fit. There's 6.5 billion people on earth. If 1/3 take baths 3 times a week then there are 6.5 billion chances each week that someone could slip causing a fatal accident. How many people do you estimate would be in the ocean and within stricking distance of a shark during any given week? Well it isn't anywhere near 6.5 billion.

You can't compare the number of annual bath tub accidents to the annual number of shark attacks. A stistical mismatch.

 

[Queen]

Anti-shark.... sentiment negative toward sharks. Making them out to be vicious aggressive attacking creatures. I think that's over done and it's done more out of fright than from reality.

I'm not green peace by any stretch but I am against Asian fining for profit.

I don't mind admitting that I'm not confortable near a shark underwater. Afraid? NO! But I'm not especially confortable either.

On the ride out to the reef last week (off Key West), a couple of newer divers were talking about the "Shark Week" program on cable, we got to the second site and there were 2 gorgeous nurse sharks hanging out...the 2 newbies got out of the water after about 5 minutes saying they'd heard nurse sharks can attack divers?? Kind of sad really that instead of educating people the program had to do the whole sharks-are-evil thing.