By John Salak –
It might be a colossal understatement to report that 2024 was a devastating year worldwide for many. Economic uncertainty, European and Middle Eastern wars, devastating impacts of climate change and sharp political divisions in the U.S. and Europe, among other problems, put millions under enormous strain.
There was, however, one small statistically supported piece of good news. The year was marked by an exceptional drop in shark bites. There were only 47 unprovoked attacks worldwide, down 22 from the previous year. The number was also well below the 10-year average of 70.
Reported fatalities also showed a significant decrease from the previous year, with only four cited globally.
The United States continued to lead the world in unprovoked shark bites with 28 reported incidents. There was only one unprovoked fatality in the U.S. in 2024, which occurred off Oahu, Hawaii.
Regardless of the number, shark attacks in the U.S. and worldwide always draw enormous attention, which observers attribute to a combination of morbid curiosity and legitimate concerns from individuals who frequent warm coastal waters where sharks hang out.
The statistics supplied by The International Shark Attack File of Florida also only account for unprovoked attacks. Instances in which a person intentionally or unintentionally initiates contact with sharks from acts such as spearfishing or releasing sharks from nets or hooks are not included in the agency’s report.
WellWell, in fact, has regularly reported on the annual surges in attacks up through 2023, citing a variety of reasons, including the growing number of people swimming about in waters known to hold sharks and in waves that make it difficult for these predators to see exactly what they are biting. Previous reports also note that shark attacks apparently hit an uptick during fuller phases of the moon compared to lower illuminated periods.
The Florida agency’s latest report notes that an abundance of juvenile sharks in areas like Florida, which leads the U.S. in unprovoked attacks, probably accounts for a disproportionate percentage of bites in both good and bad years. It theorized that younger sharks haven’t yet fully developed the ability to distinguish between humans and their natural prey, which includes fish, stingrays and other sharks.
“We’re interested in the natural patterns of shark behavior so that we can understand why people occasionally get bitten by these animals. Any cue or attribute that modifies an animal’s natural behavior is something that, we as scientists, want to exclude,” explained Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research.
And yes, it is possible that multiple bites in the same area during a matter of hours or days can be the work of a serial biter. But Naylor notes there may be other reasons for bunches of bites.
“We can’t preclude that it was the same animal, but what’s often overlooked is that the same climatic conditions that bring people into the water are the same conditions that bring sharks closer to shore,” he said, indicating that if there’s one shark nearby, there are likely others as well.
“This naturally increases the likelihood of human-shark encounters,” added International Shark Attack File manager Joe Miguez. “In the case of the Padre Island incidents (where several attacks occurred almost simultaneously), it is much more plausible that multiple sharks were present in the area, responding to the same environmental cues.”
Ultimately, the downturn in shark bites worldwide is undeniably good news for all those who enjoy warm water activities. The World Health Organization presents even better news. Despite the concerns by some that dangers, ala Jaws, lurk beneath the waves, the chances of being bitten by a shark even during high incident years is incredibly low. The bad news is that drowning is the third leading cause of accidental death worldwide, with coastal features like rip tides and strong currents posing a greater risk to beachgoers than sharks.
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