Are shark attacks becoming more frequent, or is it just that they are more widely reported?

Question

If you can prove that actual attacks are on the rise, can you tell me why?

Answer 1

It's the media, it's something sensational to report, I read the number has been relatively still for years

Answer 2

They are much more widely reported with the rise in the strength in media. There does seem to be a slight increase in the frequency of attacks but this is simply because more and more people go to the sea side every year. The more people there are in the water the more likely it is that one will encounter a shark. It's all down to probability and statistics. You're still more likely to be killed by getting struck by lightning so the day myself or someone close to me gets struck by lightning is the day that I'll start worrying a bit more about sharks.

Answer 3

Shark attacks are expected to increase as the number of people entering the ocean increases. I believe sharks are also coming in closer to shore due to global warming. But most likely the number one reason why it appears that shark attacks are becoming more freqent is due to media attention. It is amazing that someone who was bit by "something" in waist deep water can automatically assume it was a shark without having ever seen it, and will make the front page news. In all reality, the odds of being attacked by a shark are just as low as they were 20 years ago.

Answer 4

Its hard to say because there there has been a steady increase in the human population and increasing number people swimming and snorkeling (and no structured effort to collect data). So, more people swimming with sharks means more people will encounter a shark. Here's a link to the shark attack database.

Answer 5

Accounting for the increase in the number of people in the water, shark attack rates are relatively stable.

Because they grab the imagination and sell media, you hear about each one multiple times, and even small incidences that require little or no medical aid hit the headlines.

Answer 6

I think it's a bit of both. More people are going to the beech and sharks like to eat. It seems that the shark mistakes Humans for seals. Don't sit on a surf board or wear a dark body length swimming costume.