Shark Attacks

From 1900-1979, more shark attacked swimmers and bathers than surface recreationists. However, in 1980, the number of surface recreationists attacked skyrocketed. This became the leading cause of attacks and has been so ever since. Surprisingly, the number of divers attacked is very minimal. The Great White shark contributes the largest number of attacks of any other shark. It more than doubles the number of the tiger shark, the shark with the second most attacks. In 2001, there were nearly 80,000 people who visited the beach. Of those, only about 40 were attacked, and of those attacks, only one was fatal.
       Shark attacks did not become a common source of fear until the 20th century. Though sharks are a danger, their risk needs to be taken into perspective. Each year bees, snakes, and wasps are responsible for more fatalities than shark attacks. In the US, a person is 30 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to be attacked by a shark. The male to female ratio of sharks attacks is 9:2:1.