Florida | Researchers want to restore the image of the shark

(Miami) Florida has the highest number of shark attacks on humans in 2023. But experts have a message for you: these animals are not the monsters you imagine.

Last year, 16 of the 69 so-called unprovoked shark attacks worldwide took place in this southeastern US state, or 23% of the global figure, according to a report published by the University of Florida.

We distinguish between unprovoked attacks and so-called provoked attacks, namely bites occurring after a human intentionally approaches a shark or swims in an area where bait is used to attract fish.

These attacks take place when there are a lot of sharks and people in the water, two conditions found in Florida, co-author of the report Gavin Naylor told AFP.

On the one hand, Florida, located in a subtropical latitude, favors the arrival of sharks attracted by the water of its continental shelf, rich in nutrients and therefore in fish. On the other, its kilometers of beach, its good weather and its party reputation attract many tourists.

“When sharks are chasing fish, sometimes people get in their way and the sharks make a mistake and bite them,” said Gavin Naylor, who directs the Florida Shark Research Program at the Florida Museum of Natural History. this state.

In almost 95% of cases, attacks are unintentional, due to poor visibility and bad luck. If sharks wanted to attack humans, there would be between 10,000 and 50,000 attacks per day worldwide.

“Humans are a very easy target, they’re like floating sausages to a shark, so we know they avoid them,” he adds.

A harsh reputation

Bruce Adams knows the risk of being attacked by a shark is low, even for a resident of New Smyrna Beach, the “shark attack capital of the world.”

This city of 30,000 inhabitants in Volusia County recorded half of the cases of attacks in Florida last year.

The murky water of New Smyrna Beach, accustomed to surfers, increases the likelihood that sharks will bite someone by mistake.

Sitting on the beach, Mr. Adams often takes his surfboard to the area and recalls some frightening encounters with these animals.

“It’s like plane crashes, if someone is attacked, it’s information. It makes headlines and sells t-shirts,” he regrets.

Joe Miguez, co-author of the report with Gavin Naylor, would like to end sharks’ bad reputation, which he attributes to fear of the unknown.

“Many people have been in the water with sharks without knowing it […] in reality, they want nothing to do with us,” he explains.

In Jupiter, 150 kilometers north of Miami, Jonathan Campbell accompanies around ten amateurs to dive with sharks and also wants to improve the image of these animals.

When the boat reaches the designated area, Mr. Campbell dives into the water with a box filled with pieces of fish and throws it. Then he makes noise, gestures and waits.

“It’s the place where I feel the most peaceful,” says the 49-year-old engineer, who has already completed more than 500 dives with sharks.

“In the movies, sharks are terrifying monsters, but in the water they are more like shy puppies”

In Professor Naylor’s laboratory, Joe Miguez warns about the future of these species, present for 400 million years, but whose population has been declining in recent decades.

According to a study published in 2021 in the journal Natureglobal populations of sharks and rays have indeed fallen by 71% since 1970.

“We should focus more on protecting them rather than saying they are coming for us,” he says.