U.S. Shark Attack Capital Named

Great white shark looks terrifying, and it can be. But it does not really want to eat you. Credit: NOAA

The shark attack capital of the United States is New Smyrna, Fla., sort of, according to the International Shark Attack File. The beach is in a county that has logged 210 attacks on humans. No. 2 is North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii and Long Beach Island in New Jersey gets the No. 3 spot.

Truth is, shark attacks are rare (learn how to avoid them). Globally there are a few dozen a year, with 4 deaths last year. In Florida, there were 32 in 2008 and the same number in 2007, with no fatalities. The overall number of attacks had risen slightly in recent years, largely because more people go into the water where sharks are, but that trend has reversed of late.

By some estimates, 73 million sharks are killed every year, often just for their fins, and that's taking a bite out of their ability to attack humans. The recession has meant fewer people vacationing at places where they might swim and become shark bait.

Sharks don't really like the taste of people, anyway. The attacks on humans are accidental, experts say. A paddling surfer looks a lot like dinner from below.

The odds of being killed by a shark are less than being offed by lightning or killed while riding a bike. Of course, if you never go in the ocean, your odds of being attacked by a shark are exactly zero.