Florida is the shark bite capital of the world

The International Shark Attack File 2022 has revealed that there were 57 recorded unprovoked shark bites across the globe during 2022, with 16 of those bites taking place in waters off Florida.

The sunshine state had the most sharks bites - with it topping the shark attack numbers list for decades - and although there were no shark attack deaths there were two amputations as a result.

Seven of those attacks were in Volusia County, four in Monroe County which includes the Keys. There was also one each in Palm Beach, Brevard, Martin, Nassau and Pinellas counties.

So, what is it that makes shark attacks so prevalent in Florida?

It is a culmination of things, from its location, which is between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico and the simple mix of thousands of people in the water off the hundreds of miles of beaches. Those waters are also home to a wide range of shark species, around 15, from bull sharks to tiger sharks, and even the odd great white.

Although Florida has retained its shark bite capital of the world title for another year  numbers are down for the last couple of years. And those numbers are still low when you consider the numbers using the water, with drowning far outnumbering shark encounters.

Added to that, globally the number of unprovoked attacks on humans is at its joint lowest level for a decade.

Words by Dean Newman

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