Shark Attacks

Steering clear of "Jaws"

By Tony Corey

"Respect" is the watchword when the subject is sharks. These intriguing animals are not to be feared necessarily, suggests one fisheries biologist, and not to be dismissed, certainly, but they are to be respected—respected for their size, for their power, and for their capacity to inflict considerable harm.

Shark sightings off Narragansett Town Beach in summer 2003 have made the scientist’s notion of respect a little more real for Rhode Islanders seeking a day of sun and surf. The sightings, though brief and uneventful, closed the beach for a couple of days and alerted Rhode Islanders to the presence of various sharks along the state’s coast. Familiar in southern and deep ocean waters, Atlantic sharks are highly migratory creatures: Different species travel as far south as Argentina, as far north as Newfoundland, and as far inland as bays, harbors, and estuaries. Summertime brings them to the northern range of their distribution, with some species routinely visiting Rhode Island waters. Among these, the blue shark, shortfin mako, sand tiger, sandbar shark, and the smaller, more familiar spiny dogfish and smooth dogfish cruise offshore or into shallow coastal waters. All these species are suspects in the Narragansett sightings; none is a type usually associated with attacks on humans.

Sharks have gained a fearsome reputation over the past half century, nurtured in part by media exploitation of the shark mystique. The exaggerated Hollywood image of Jaws, combined with highly publicized recent shark attacks that generated the media tag "Summer of the Shark" in 2001, has riveted public attention and colored public perception. Although media coverage tends to heighten awareness and reporting of shark attacks, it may also promote a perception that attacks are on the rise.

Worldwide, according to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), the number of confirmed, unprovoked attacks has indeed increased steadily over the past century. However, the increase is directly correlated to an increase in human population: There are more people on the coasts, and there are more people engaged in recreation in the water, so there are more opportunities for encounters. Additionally, an improved ability to discover and investigate attacks, thanks to better technology and communication, has enhanced awareness and documentation of encounters. So, even though numbers of shark attacks are up, the rate of attacks is not, ISAF reports. In fact, since 2000, a downward trend both in numbers and in severity of attacks shows a drop in incidents from 85 to 72 to 60 in 2000, 2001, and 2002, respectively, and a drop in fatalities from 13 to 5 to 3 in the same years.

Not shark food

Sharks rarely attack humans without provocation. Like most animals, they bite what they perceive as food. Their most frequent human targets—surfers, followed by swimmers and divers—and their method of attack suggest "mistaken identity." The sudden, violent, single-strike approach that characterizes most attacks on humans is the most efficient strategy for hunting prey. A shark that mistakes a wet-suited diver or a surfer for a seal quickly learns this is not its normal food and usually abandons the attack. Such mistaken-identity encounters are the most common type of attack, and the resulting injuries—usually small lacerations, especially on the lower legs—are seldom life threatening.

More serious are the "bump and bite" and "sneak" attacks. These encounters usually occur in deeper waters and involve swimmers or divers. The shark initiates a bump-and-bite attack by circling its victim, typically bumping the target before attacking. Resulting injuries are usually severe and sometimes fatal. The sneak attack is a sudden assault that comes without warning. This is the kind of attack associated with sea disasters, as sharks engage in feeding or antagonist behaviors. Injuries sustained in such an attack are usually severe and often fatal.

Only a few species of sharks are implicated in the majority of unprovoked attacks: the white shark of Jaws infamy, the bull shark, and the tiger shark. These are not among the species that normally frequent Rhode Island waters.

As dramatic as they are, shark attacks are rare and largely preventable. People are 30 times more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a shark and are far more likely to die of stings or bites from bees, wasps, or snakes than from sharks. Still, the risk exists, and shark sightings warrant attentive response. The likelihood of shark attack can be lessened by adherence to these precautions:

• Always stay in groups; sharks are more likely to attack a solitary individual
• Stay fairly close to shore to avoid being isolated and cut off from ready assistance
• Avoid being in the water during darkness or twilight hours when sharks are most active and have a competitive sensory advantage
• Stay out of the water if bleeding from an open wound or if menstruating—a shark's olfactory ability is acute
• Remove shiny jewelry—the reflected light resembles the sheen of fish scales
• Avoid waters with known sewage or active sport or commercial fishing, especially if you see bait fishes or feeding activity. Diving seabirds are good indicators of such action
• Keep in mind that sightings of porpoises do not indicate the absence of sharks—both often eat the same food items
• Use extra caution when waters are murky; avoid uneven tanning and bright colored clothing—sharks see contrast particularly well
• Refrain from excess splashing; do not allow pets in the water because of their erratic movements
• Exercise caution when occupying the area between sandbars or near steep drop-offs— these are favorite hangouts for sharks
• Stay out of the water if sharks are known to be present, and evacuate the water if sharks are sighted
• Avoid harassing a shark if you see one

Information taken primarily from the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), a compilation of all known shark attacks from the mid-1500s to the present. In existence since 1958, the ISAF is administered by the American Elasmobranch Society, the foremost international society of scientists studying sharks, skates, and rays, and by the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH). FLMNH maintains the ISAF Web site, http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Sharks/ISAF/ISAF.htm.

Additional information from Guide to Sharks, Tunas & Billfishes of the U.S. Atlantic & Gulf of Mexico, 2003, a joint publication of Rhode Island Sea Grant and NOAA Fisheries.

See also: Sharks in Rhode Island waters slideshow on Projo.com. Note: Viewing this slideshow requires Macromedia Flash Player.