Shark bite capital: Volusia County still leads world as overall attacks decrease

Volusia County’s nine painful surf encounters means it again was shark bite capital of the world in 2019, according to the newest update from the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File.

The nine reported Volusia bites, all in New Smyrna Beach, is double the local number of 2018. There were also five bites in Duval County, two in Brevard and one in Broward, Martin, Nassau, Palm Beach and St. John counties.

The shark attack file is the world’s only “scientifically documented, comprehensive database” of all known attacks, and also records all interactions between humans and sharks, their website states.

Despite the uptick in Volusia County numbers, the global incidents have decreased, the shark attack file shows. There were a total of 64 unprovoked bites in 2019, and even though that’s two more than 2018’s record, it’s a large drop from the most recent five-year average of 82 attacks per year. Two were fatal, a decrease from an average of four fatal attacks per year.

Gavin Naylor, director of the shark research program at the Florida Museum of Natural History, said he thinks this is because blacktip sharks — the animals that cause most of the Florida bites — appear to have changed their migration patterns.

“We’ve had back-to-back years with unusual decreases in shark attacks, and we know that people aren’t spending less time in the water,” Naylor said in a news release. “This suggests sharks aren’t frequenting the same places they have in the past. But it’s too early to say this is the new normal.”

Shark bites in Florida also increased from 2018 as well, showing a spike from 16 bites to 21. The Sunshine State continues to lead both the U.S. and the globe for the most shark bites, with Hawaii, California, North Carolina, Georgia, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina and the Virgin Islands trailing behind.

However, the 21 bites is still a large decrease from the five-year average of 32 attacks per year, the shark attack file says.

According to the shark attack file, there’s also been an increase of reports from east coast anglers saying sharks are trailing fishing lines and depredation. Tyler Bowling, manager of the shark file, said in a release there’s also been a decline in fish, which could mean sharks are specifically going to fishing boats for meals.

“If their resources are thin, they’re going to go to places that are more reliable, and if that means fishing boats, that’s where they’re going to go,” Naylor said. “That exacerbates problems for fishermen.”