Florida #1 In The World For Shark Bites

We're all familiar with the movie Jaws which was set up in New York, but Florida is #1 in the world for shark bites.

Swimming in the ocean is one of my favorite things. There's something so freeing about being in a huge body of water and feeling so small. We're so lucky, living here in Southwest Florida, where the ocean, or rather the Gulf of Mexico, is just a short drive away. For me in Fort Myers, it's 8 minutes door to "door" to jump right in for a dip. I've never really worried much about creatures lurking below the surface. I've seen some fish when I've been swimming and have been very near both dolphins and manatees, but nothing I've been fearful of. However, I may keep my head on a bit of swivel now hearing the latest news about sharks in Florida.

We've been hearing about great white sightings in Florida as they've been migrating south for the winter. There's a great site called Ocearch where you can see where sharks are swimming. As of today, February 6, there are a few off the coast of Southwest Florida. Gina and Sabrina, both bull sharks have been around Boca Grande for a little while now. It's fun to see where they're tracked and you can look all over the world.

The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File came out yesterday and revealed Florida is #1 for shark bites in the world. The File the world’s only scientifically documented database of all known shark attacks since the early 1500s. The report reveals that there were 120 shark attacks in 2023. In Florida, there were 16 unprovoked shark bites, more than anywhere else. Volusia County had the most shark bites with 8, followed by Brevard and St. Lucie counties each with 2. No counties in Southwest Florida had any bites to report.

While this report may be unsettling, researchers do say that the risk of getting bit by a shark is low.