CLOSE
Shark Attacks Set Record In 2015
Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons
A record 98 shark attacks occurred worldwide in 2015.
Florida led the nation with 30 attacks.
Most of the state’s attacks occurred in central Florida, home to large populations of tourists and surfers who spend more time in the water, and to sharks those tourists and surfers splashing around resemble fish.
George Burgess is curator of the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida.
“We would expect to have more attacks than the previous year simply because the human population continues to rise in a rapid fashion, which means there are more and more humans entering the sea every year.”
Worldwide the U.S. saw the most shark attacks, followed by Australia and South Africa.
While shark attacks are on the rise, better medical care has held deaths worldwide steady at six. The only death in the U.S. happened in Hawaii.
Sign Up For 90.7 WMFE's Newsletter
Catch up on the latest Central Florida news and get updates on programs, events and more.
SUBSCRIBEWMFE Journalistic Ethics Code | Public Media Code of Integrity
