Fatal shark attacks to double globally by 2023 – with the US experiencing the most unprovoked attacks

Scientists have revealed that there will be an ‘unnerving’ rise in fatal shark attacks worldwide by 2023.

Researchers from the University of Florida found that deaths from apex predators have doubled, with ten reported fatalities – five more than the year before.

Data showed the US had the most unprovoked attacks: 36, accounting for 52 percent of the global total, but only two were fatal.

The team found that great white sharks, tiger sharks and bull sharks will have killed the majority of swimmers by 2023, but the increased deaths are due to more people in the ocean each year and greater emphasis on on reporting bites and fatalities.

The US reported the most shark attacks last year, with the majority occurring in Florida. Surfers are attacked more often than swimmers and waders: 42 percent of unprovoked shark attacks

An unprovoked attack occurs when a shark attacks a human without provocation, such as when the individual unintentionally approaches the shark or swims or surfs in an area where the shark hunts for fish.

About 16 people suffered shark bites in Florida and two were killed in California and Hawaii, according to one report by the University of Florida International Shark Attack File (ISAF).

There was also one confirmed death in the Bahamas, Egypt, Mexico and New Caledonia, and additional attacks in Brazil, the Bahamas and South Africa, among five others.

“This is within the range of normal bite numbers, although the fatalities this year are a bit unnerving,” said Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History’s shark research program.

Attacks from bulls, tigers and white sharks cause the most fatalities, but biologists say this is because they are larger than other sharks

Although the three sharks – great white sharks, tigers and bulls – are known as poaching predators of the sea, the researchers said their bites are fatal due to their size.

When a shark misidentifies a human as its prey, it will typically swim away after a single bite, but because they are larger than other sharks, a single bite can be fatal.

While fatalities have indeed increased in 2023, marine biologists say the increase in shark attacks is more likely due to population density. As more people enter the water, the more likely someone is to be attacked by a shark.

In Australia, four people were killed in unprovoked shark attacks, and the ISAF noted that the country is known for its larger population of white and bull sharks.

‘Beach safety in Australia is second to none. They are fantastic,” said Joe Miguez, a doctoral candidate with the Florida Program for Shark Research.

‘However, if you go to remote areas where beach safety is not in place, there is a greater risk of a fatal shark attack.

‘This is because if an attack occurs and there is beach safety, you are more likely to put on a tourniquet and save the person’s life.

‘So the solution is not to not surf. “It’s about surfing in areas where there’s a good beach safety program in place,” he said.

Surfers made up the majority of shark attack victims and experienced 42 percent of bites worldwide, while swimmers and waders were responsible for 39 percent of attacks.

Swimmers should take precautions to avoid being bitten, including swimming with a buddy and staying close to shore

The ISAF said there are certain steps swimmers and surfers can take to avoid being bitten, including swimming with a buddy, staying close to shore, not swimming where people are fishing and avoiding excessive splashing.

Sharks may be attracted to excessive splashing, especially if it is in one spot, and will want to investigate if prey is in distress.

It also advises against swimming at dawn or dusk, when sharks are most active and feeding, and to avoid wearing shiny jewelry, as the reflected light can resemble the shine of fish scales.