Last year was a year of many things: Trump for President, police brutality, and student protests. But another was that shark attacks doubled. A total of 98 instances were recored, a spike in unprovoked attacks that set a record as both parties’ population rises.
Six people were killed by sharks, including a snorkeler in Hawaii. Two deaths were recorded off the Indian Ocean island of Reunion, and shark attack victims also died in Australia, Egypt and New Caledonia, according to data submitted by scientists worldwide.
In good news, the number of deadly encounters was roughly on par with the past decade’s average. Shark attacks are occurring further north and south of their usual spots as waters get warmer due to global warming effects.
Unseasonable warm water off the coasts of North and South Carolina likely contributed to 16 attacks there last year, including rare attacks in which two children were bitten in separate incidents less than an hour apart, he said.
Florida saw 30 shark attacks in 2015, roughly half of the 59 recorded in the United States, as is typical.
After the United States, Australia and South Africa recorded the next highest number of attacks, at 18 and 8 respectively.
[source: nypost]
