Number of shark attacks decrease in 2016

Shane Obi can surf easily knowing there are fewer sharks in the ocean.

“We are not their natural food,” the 21-year-old UF accounting junior said. “They don’t want to eat us.”

In 2015, the International Shark Attack File, a Gainesville-based center that keeps the longest running database on shark attacks internationally, found there were 98 shark attacks around the world, said George Burgess, the curator of the program. In 2016, the number dropped to 81, he said.

“We think we should be able to control everything in our world around us,” Burgess said. “We expect safety. We forget we are a part of a natural world.”

The significant drop in attacks is due to 2015’s El Nino, an irregular weather pattern that brought warmer air and water to the Northern Hemisphere, attracting sharks, he said.

Historically, the U.S. leads in number of attacks with 53 in 2016, and Florida is the state with the highest number, with 32, he said. A combination of high population, tourism and year-round water accessibility causes the increased shark presence.

But, beachgoers can be knowledgeable and avoid attacks by being aware of a few things, said Lindsay French, database manager of ISAF.

Swim in groups, avoid murky water, and understand dolphins have a similar diet, she said.

“If you see bait fish get out of the water,” she said.