shark attack increase ?

[ludobarbot]

I seem to be noticing a very high rate of shark attacks going on around the world. specially these past 2 month.
Well i know there was 2 in Seychelles one was fatal the other not. There was one or two attacks in russia. Today i opened the newspaper to read that there has been 3 shark attacks in reunion island in the indian ocean. 1 in Hawaii, another is south africa pletenberg bay. 1 in venezuela and another in north carolina.

Could be more i am not sure but these i know. And they all have happened over the past two months. It just seems weird to me but maybe i am completely wrong. Isn't all this a little above the average of usual shark attacks?

What could be causing this? If it was the dwindling fish stokes for the sharks wouldn't the increase in attacks be more gradual instead of a sudden increase?

 

[vladimir]

Sometimes when I'm playing backgammon it seems that double-sixes are coming up more often. Then I remember that I haven't been properly counting all the rolls of the dice, that a small sample is statistically meaningless, and that in a random sequence of rolls one would expect "runs" that seem to be anomalous but are, in fact, quite normal, and require no explanation.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Perhaps what you're really noticing is the effect of increasing human encroachment into shark territory ... and possibly the result of human activity producing an increasing link between the presence of humans and the availability of food.

Sharks don't "attack" ... they "feed". And for the most part, humans aren't on their menu ... we just sometimes happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time ...

.. Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[c0r3yz]

It's called "Blue Car Syndrome".

 

[DandyDon]

I am more afraid of falling coconuts. I check the trees a lot on trips.

 

[InTheDrink]

I don't think it's an unreasonable question.

In the red sea two years ago the guides were saying that there was 'something wrong in our waters'. The oceanic white tips were being very frisky and had bitten several, some severely including one death.

Then last christmas there was that spate of attacks near Sharm. Again, highly unusual for them to come that close to shore (although ditched sheep carcasses from a passing ship may be to blame for this)

Various theories have been expounded of course, many reasonable, including humans feeding the sharks and them associating us with food. Another which I don't think should be discounted out of hand, is the depletion of fish stocks - making them need to reconsider their usual preferred menu. Not saying this is definitely the case, but even if the annual count of shark attacks is remaining stable (I don't know if it is) we do appear to be seeing a spate of attacks in places not normally associated with attacks.

John

 

[Krazytomdiver]

I have been hit by a falling coconut (Westbay beach,Roatan) but never bitten by a shark...
Still diving Cebu & loving it! Two months gone,four to go.

"living life without a hard bottom"
KT

 

[DevonDiver]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Moved post from the Accidents and Incidents forum, as it was not in line with specialist forum rules in that area.

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[MauiScubaSteve]

Today i opened the newspaper to read that there has been 3 shark attacks in reunion island in the indian ocean. 1 in Hawaii, another is south africa pletenberg bay. 1 in venezuela and another in north carolina.

Could be more i am not sure but these i know. And they all have happened over the past two months. It just seems weird to me but maybe i am completely wrong. Isn't all this a little above the average of usual shark attacks?

I "waste" a lot of time nearly every day perusing news from all the Hawaiian Islands, plus I just made a few internet searches, and if there has been a shark "attack" in Hawaii in the last two months I am not aware of it.

The most recent shark bite news I remember was one "lolo" swimmer in the middle of the night, in the middle of the channel between Hawaii and Maui. Evidence points to a cookie cutter shark and that is such a rare anomaly as to not even consider it relevant.

 

[AfterDark]

Extreme Climate Change is the problem. The warmer climate are driving the sharks mad.