Pawelski: Drowning more likely than shark encounter

Pawelski

Natalie Pawelski is CNN's environment correspondent, based in Atlanta.

Q: There have been two rare and fatal shark attacks in Virginia and North Carolina within two days. Should would-be beachgoers be concerned about swimming in the ocean these days?

PAWELSKI: Whether the shark attacks keep you out of the water has a lot to do with your tolerance for risk-- in the same way some people frequently fly on airplanes, knowing the odds are heavily in their favor, while others don't fly because of the possibility of disaster. If you look at the odds, researchers say, coastal ocean swimmers are far more likely to drown or have a heart attack than they are to encounter a shark, and statistically speaking, driving to the beach is more hazardous than swimming in the ocean.

But shark attacks do happen. In any given year you can expect between zero and two fatal shark attacks in the U.S., and that's all we've seen so far this year-- it's just very unusual that they both happened in one long weekend. Fatal shark attacks are running below average on a worldwide scale--- three reported, compared to an average over the last decade of eight. Non-fatal shark attacks are actually down this year compared to last year, both in the U.S. and worldwide.

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Q: What's the cause for the overall rise in shark attacks over the past century?

PAWELSKI: Reported shark attacks have risen over the past century, in part because our information-gathering systems-- from CNN to the Internet-- are better. But also because more people are in the water, acting in ways that could attract sharks-- surfing, diving, and splashing in the water. Researchers say the vast majority of attacks are cases of mistaken identity-- the shark thinks it's getting a fish or a seal, not a person.

Another factor: there are more people living in coastal areas. In places like Florida, there's a direct correlation between rising population and increasing numbers of shark attacks.

Q: Are surfers more likely to get bitten by a shark than swimmers or divers? Why or why not?

PAWELSKI: According to the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida, most victims of shark attacks these days are surfers. Divers come in quite a bit back in second place, with swimmers less likely to be attacked, and people entering and exiting the water at the bottom of the likely-victim list.

Researchers say it makes sense that surfers would be relatively common targets -- they're out a ways into the shark's habitat, relatively isolated, moving in ways that a shark could mistake for a fish or a seal.

Q: What precautions can people take to avoid getting in the way of sharks, especially when they are feeding in the ocean?

PAWELSKI: First, the obvious: If you see sharks feeding -- or doing anything else, for that matter -- get out of the water. When swimming, surfing or diving, the experts suggest some precautions. Stay in groups and stay close to shore-- sharks are more likely to attack lone individuals, and if you're far from people you're also far from help. Don't swim between dusk and dawn, when sharks are more likely to be feeding, and are more likely to mistake you for a fish. Also avoid wearing shiny jewelry, which can resemble shiny fish scales. Experts advise against ocean swimming if you're bleeding or menstruating. And keep in mind sharks like areas around sandbars and steep drop-offs -- both of this weekend's attacks happened near sandbars.