5 Most Dangerous Locations for Shark Attacks

5. Queensland, Australia

            Australia is the home to 166 shark species. Although you could run into these sharks anywhere in the country, the eastern coast of Australia is the most densely populated. Of the 57 shark attack fatalities in Australia from 1957 to present, Queensland accounts for 22 of them. Since 1700, Queensland has had 103 shark attacks and 38 of them were fatal.

            In Queensland effort to protect beach goers, they have setup protective netting in the some of their beaches. The nets are designed to stop the larger sharks (6.6 ft and up) from coming close to shore where swimmers are present.

            In 2005, 630 sharks were caught in the netting and 298 of those sharks were larger than 6.6 feet. One of the sharks caught and stopped from coming close to shore was a 17-foot tiger shark.

4. Hawaii

            Nearly half of Hawaii’s 113 shark attacks since 1882 have occurred off the coats of Oahu and Maui. The island of Oahu has had 34 attacks and six fatalities while the island of Maui has had 36 attacks and three fatalities.

            Maui and Oahu aren’t the only dangerous islands. Kauai has had 19 shark attacks and the big island of Hawaii has had 12.

            Hawaii is the home to approximately 40 shark species, one of those being the dangerous tiger shark. Hawaii’s effort in dealing with the danger of sharks is mixed throughout the island. In 1959 the island had a decade-long shark eradication program sponsored by the government but, some of the natives are extremely supportive of having the sharks around calling the tiger shark their “guardian spirit.”

           

3. New South Wales, Australia

            Since 1700, according to the International Shark Attack File, New South Wales has had 140 shark attacks and 61 fatalities.

            As of 2006, 84 beaches in Australia were protected by the nets initially installed in the Queensland. The netting has caused a dramatic dip in the number of shark attacks as well as the number of sharks present near swimmers.  

2. South Africa

            In the past 100 years, South Africa has seen 214 shark attacks and 42 fatalities.

            Because South Africa was one the first countries to protect great white sharks, their population has increased in South Africa. Great whites aren’t the only sharks found swimming the waters of South Africa; Mako, ragged tooth, tiger sharks, hammerheads, bull and blacktip sharks are also very abundant.

            Dyer Island, near Capetown, is known as “Shark Alley” because of abundance of species of sharks in the water, especially great white sharks.

1. Volusia Country, Florida

            The No.1 most dangerous location for shark attacks is right here in Florida!

            Although South Africa has had more shark attacks and fatalities than Volusia County, Volusia County is considered the most dangerous location because the 210 attacks since 1882 occurred just off the coastline. South Africa’s attacks occurred over 2,798 miles off the coastline.

            At New Smyrna Beach, located in Volusia County, there are more shark encounters per square mile than any other beach in the world. New Smyrna Beach is known as the “Shark Attack Capital of the World” because if you have ever gone swimming in the water you have most likely been within 10 feet of a shark.

            The reason for the high number of attacks is simply the high number of people swimming in the waters of this country. Volusia County attracts fisherman and surfers from all over because the county has some of the most popular beaches in surfing.