New Report Re-Affirms Central Florida As World Leader In Shark Attacks

Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons


A new report re-affirms central Florida as the shark attack capital of the world.
The activity is centered in Volusia County, where Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach are popular destinations among tourists and native Floridians.
George Burgess is curator of the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File.
“Because it’s got some of the best surfing in the state of Florida it draws more surfers than any other place, and that’s not trivial because surfers are the No. 1 target group of sharks.”
Worldwide 81 shark attacks took place in 2016, making it an average year compared with 2015’s record-breaking 98 bites. Four were fatal.
The United States had the most attacks but no fatalities. Florida had the most of any state, accounting for some 40 percent of the world’s activity.
Get The 90.7 WMFE Newsletter
Your trusted news source for the latest Central Florida COVID-19 news, updates on special programs and more. Support our extended coverage.
GET THE LATESTWMFE Journalistic Ethics Code | Public Media Code of Integrity