Attack Statistics - Other Attack Statistics

Seasonal variations of attacks differ greatly depending on the location, as the two graphs below indicate. The reasons for these differences are easily explained not from when sharks appear in these waters, although this might have some relevance, but more from when the waters are warm enough for people to swim in them. Australia and South Africa have similar climates and seasons, which dictate the tourist trades, and so when most people are in these areas to swim, surf, dive etc. North America and the Mediterranean share their 'summer season' during the late March to late September period, and so unsurprisingly suffer the most attacks at these times. The Pacific region and the Caribbean have tropical climates where the water is warm enough to swim in all year round, but while the Pacific attack rate remains relatively constant, the Caribbean does have an increase during the summer months, probably due to an increase in population from tourism.

Seasonal variations in attack rates

Another interesting feature of many publications when considering rates of shark attack, is their willingness to compare the chances of fatal attack to the annual death rate from bee stings, lightning strikes, car crashes etc. Why so many people make these comparisons is a mystery, as they hold absolutely no relevance to sharks whatsoever. Take bee stings for example, bees are found in almost every part of the world and some have the potential to kill a human, the similarity with sharks ends there. It is safe to say that practically every person in the world will come into contact with a bee at least once in there life, the same cannot be said for sharks, where there are millions of people that will never even see the sea, let alone swim in it. How many of the bee victims died from anaphylactic shock ?, a condition that can kill an otherwise healthy adult in less than 30 minutes after just one sting. How many died as a result of multiple stings after actually provoking the colony ? (yes it does often happen). To try to allay the public's fear of shark attacks by comparison to other deaths is pointless, instead concentrate on the realistic facts that, yes, fatal attacks are very rare, but you can limit the chances further through gaining local knowledge of an area, not swimming at dusk or dawn, not swimming near shoals of fish, not swimming in areas where there has been a recent attack or where fish have been caught and injured etc., and to use common sense. The only way to guarantee yourself 100%, is by never entering the water, but were is the fun in that, instead respect the fact that you are entering a domain where the shark maybe the apex predator and try to follow the precautions.