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15 WORLD maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 14 JUNE 2023 SATURDAY afternoons in July are prime time to get bitten by the ocean's greatest predator, according to a new shark attack report that looks at big fish bites over the past half-century. A Florida shark research centre has compiled 47 years of shark attack data into a global mapping system that keeps track of all doc- umented bites. Florida has long been the shark bite capital of the world. US state with most document- ed shark attacks On average, there are about 100 documented shark attacks around the globe each year. With its 825 miles of sandy beaches, Florida is home to most of those. Global shark attack data: How many people have been attacked by sharks in the past half-centu- ry? A total of 1,218 shark bites and attacks have been recorded in the past 47 years worldwide, with ap- proximately 14% of those being fatal. The vast majority of bites are unprokoved (94%) while a small number of attacks (6%) are pro- voked. One thousand respondents were asked if they would be will- ing to be bitten by a shark, and 15% of respondents said they would indeed agree to be attacked by a shark if it turned out to be a "cool story," but that's only if they have no permanent injuries. Globally, about 10 people are attacked and killed by sharks each year. Safest time to enter ocean waters The safest time to enter ocean waters, according to the site, is Tuesday mornings at dawn in February. But generally speaking, "the number of sharks in the world's oceans has decreased, which may have contributed to recent lulls," Gavin Naylor, a shark researcher at Florida Museum of Natural History, told USA Today earlier this year. It's likely fatalities are down "because some areas have recent- ly implemented rigorous beach safety protocols, especially in Australia," he said. What are the odds of being killed by a shark? According to the site, it's been 15 years since anyone has been fatally attacked by a shark in Flor- ida. The last attack of any type in Lee-Collier area came in 2005 at Boca Grande. Someone was wading there and was bitten by an unknown species. It was not a fatality. Also in Southwest Florida, an attack occurred at Siesta Key in Sarasota County in 2020. Just up the coast, a fatal attack occurred at Boca Ciega Bay in Pinellas County in 2000. Odds of being attacked or killed by a shark The odds of being attacked and killed by a shark are 1 in 3.7 mil- lion. Overall, the United States has tallied the most attacks (720) with a fatality rate of 6%. Austral- ia and Africa report far fewer at- tacks, 261 and 72 respectively, yet both nations are home to waters that are much more deadly than those in the states. The fatality rate in Australia is 23%, while the kill rate in Africa is a whopping 38%, according to the site. White sharks are the top biters Followed by tiger and bull sharks, white sharks (some- times called great white sharks) have been the aggressors in 177 documented attacks, 34% of which were fatal. Bull sharks tallied the sec- ond-most bites, with 175 at- tacks and an 18% kill rate. Ti- ger sharks attack less than bulls (125 total) but kill more fre- quently (30%). The attacking species, however, is typically not known (692 reports). No fatalities were reported in the next five species of bit- ing sharks: blacktip reef shark, nurse shark, spinner shark, the bronze whaler and the lemon shark, according to the file. Sandtiger sharks (three docu- mented attacks with one being fatal) and mako sharks (11 at- tacks and an 18% fatality rate) are rare biters of humans but are also quite dangerous. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the least likely sharks to bite you are: whitetip sharks, dog sharks, juvenile sharks, porbeagle sharks and the dusky shark (all with one documented attack). Florida's East Coast has the most shark bites The East Coast of Florida is one of the most visited and enjoyed stretches of beach in the world, and more people in shark territory equals more bites. Attacks on the map are marked with a shark fin, a white one for non-fatal and a red one for a fatal attack. There are so many fin mark- ers on the East Coast of the Sunshine State that they're practically stacked on top of each other. But the bites stop near the Georgia line, and they don't pick up again until the beaches of South Carolina. Where do the most fatal shark attacks occur? The southernmost tip of Afri- ca is home of one of the world's great populations of white sharks, and fatality statistics show that these waters are dan- gerous for surfers and swim- mers. While only three people have been killed by sharks in the shark attacks capital of the world, it seems that most at- tacks in South Africa are fatal. Tips on avoiding shark bites The chance of being bitten by a shark "remain incredibly low," according to the Florida Muse- um of Natural History's Florida Program for Shark Research's annual report. Certain meas- ures can make swimmers safe, reducing the risk of a bite: • Remove reflective jewelry. • Avoid areas where people are fishing. • Leave the water if you see abundant bait fish. • Swim in groups. • Don't wander too far from shore. • Don't swim in dim or dark light. Where is the shark attack capital of the world? Global shark stats tell story over 47 years A Russian man was killed in a shark attack in Egypt last week