Shark attacks: Florida researchers release 2022 statistics on shark bites and deaths

Ed Killer, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·2 min read
1

The International Shark Attack File on Monday released statistics on how many people were bitten by sharks — and how many died from their injuries — in 2022.

Worldwide, five people died — one in Hawaii, two in South Africa and two on the same day in Egypt — from among 57 unprovoked bites, according to University of Florida researchers. That's down from nine in 2021 and 10 in 2020.

Florida had 32 provoked bites and 16 unprovoked bites, including one on the Treasure Coast. Jasmine Carney, 10, of Palm City, was playing near the shoreline at Hobe Sound Public Beach when a shark bit her foot on Nov. 27.

Two unprovoked bites resulted in leg amputations. Addison Bethea, 17, of Satellite Beach, was diving for scallops in the Florida Panhandle town of Keaton Beach when a bull shark grabbed her leg on June 30. Jameson Reeder, 10, of North Carolina, was snorkeling near the Dry Tortugas west of Key West when a bull shark bit him on Aug. 13.

Local knowledge:Shark bites Palm City youngster turning family trip to Hobe Sound Beach into adventure

Surfing buffet:Man bitten by shark at Fort Pierce Inlet State Park: 'He got me pretty good'

TC Database:Treasure Coast shark attacks

Lemon sharks swim past scuba divers diving with Calypso Dive Charters out of Riviera Beach on Tuesday, May 11, 2021.
Lemon sharks swim past scuba divers diving with Calypso Dive Charters out of Riviera Beach on Tuesday, May 11, 2021.

Researchers cited two reasons why unprovoked bites were lower in 2022 than 2021.

“The number of sharks in the world’s oceans has decreased, which may have contributed to recent lulls," said Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History’s Florida Program for Shark Research. "It’s likely that fatalities are down because some areas have recently implemented rigorous beach safety protocols, especially in Australia,” where there were nine unprovoked bites in 2022.

Unprovoked shark bites have averaged 74 a year since 2013. On the Treasure Coast, there have been 72 bites and two deaths since 1998, according to TCPalm's Shark Attack Database.

Since 1882, here's how many shark bites have been reported in these Florida counties:

  • Volusia: 337

  • Brevard: 155

  • Palm Beach: 81

  • Duval: 46

  • St. Johns: 45

  • Martin: 40

  • St. Lucie: 40

  • Indian River: 22

  • Miami-Dade: 19

  • Monroe: 17

Ed Killer is the outdoors columnist for TCPalm.com. Email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Shark attack: UF researchers release stats on 2022 shark bites, deaths