By Corey Bennett
Sharks are one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet and as humans, we might be the ones to blame for that. Everyone is told as a kid, “sharks are more afraid of us than we are of them.” That saying has a lot more meaning now, considering how low the shark population is.
However, the number of shark attacks on the other hand is rising and will keep rising as of 2020.
Just recently in Florida, a 10-year-old boy was attacked by a bull shark, luckily only needing his leg amputated. Could this finally be a breaking point for society to do something about these frequent shark attacks? Could overfishing be causing them to look for new territory just to be able to survive?
Florida happens to be one of the most densely populated shark locations, and one of the worst states for shark attacks in the United States. According to an article posted by trackingsharks.com, as of 2022, there have been 19 shark attacks in Florida alone. There have only been 32 documented cases of shark attacks in the United States meaning that Florida is responsible for 59% of shark attacks in the US.
The main species of sharks in Florida are bull sharks. Not only are bull sharks dangerous, they’ll eat whatever they can: dolphins, birds, and turtles. They have evolved to be able to survive in salt water and coastal freshwater which is why they prefer being around Florida due to the Coastal weather.
Sharks are known to be hunted because of their meat, fins, liver oil, and as most people know: shark soup, which is a status symbol in some parts of Asia and has been thought to cure many diseases. The population of these sharks has been decreasing by millions every year since the 2000s.
Almost the majority of shark attacks have been unprovoked and only set on the fact that you were in their territory or they were simply curious. Jewelry, splashing a lot, or swimming near a school of fish where people were fishing are all factors. The best ways to avoid these shark attacks are to swim with a buddy, stay close to the shore, and not swim at dawn or dusk.
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