No need to fear, Anita. You鈥檙e almost as likely to be gored by a unicorn as you are to be swallowed by a shark. So why, you鈥檙e probably asking, does it seem like the subject gets so much attention? Well, one: sharks are big, scary, and have sharp teeth鈥攁nd hundreds of millions of them roam the seas. Two: when you鈥檙e swimming or surfing, you can鈥檛 see them coming. Three: every shark attack gets huge press鈥攏o matter where in the world it happens鈥攂ecause sharks are big and scary, and you can鈥檛 see them coming. And four: have you ever watched the movie Jaws?
Let鈥檚 examine the numbers, though. In 2011, , according to the International Shark Attack File. About one-third of the attacks occurred in North America, where none resulted in death. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, about 21 people in the country are killed by cattle each year. Yet no one makes scary movies about cows.
Still, despite the incredibly overwhelming statistics in favor of your safety, no one wants to be the one or two unlucky losers of the shark-attack lottery. And for that reason, you should take these simple precautions whenever you鈥檙e in the water.
1. Don鈥檛 swim at dawn or dusk, when some sharks are more active and use their other senses to track objects besides their vision.
2. Don鈥檛 go into the water if you鈥檙e bleeding.
3. Try to swim or surf in groups because sharks are more likely to attack a lone object.
4. Don鈥檛 go into waters where there鈥檚 a lot of sport fishing because of shark attraction to baitfish.
5. Don鈥檛 wear brightly-colored swimsuits or shiny jewelry because they turn you into one giant shark lure.
6. And, quite simply, just don鈥檛 swim in any known shark areas.