hookedonbass
01-23-2009, 01:59 PM
Disturbing Statistics for Shark Attacks http://www.kayakanglermag.com/templates/rt_mediamogul_j15/images/pdf_button.png (http://www.kayakanglermag.com/news-blogs/106-disturbing-statistics-for-shark-attacks.pdf) http://www.kayakanglermag.com/templates/rt_mediamogul_j15/images/printButton.png (http://www.kayakanglermag.com/news-blogs/106-disturbing-statistics-for-shark-attacks.html?tmpl=component&print=1&page=) http://www.kayakanglermag.com/templates/rt_mediamogul_j15/images/emailButton.png (http://www.kayakanglermag.com/component/mailto/?tmpl=component&link=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5rYXlha2FuZ2xlcm1hZy5jb20vbmV3c y1ibG9ncy8xMDYtZGlzdHVyYmluZy1zdGF0aXN0aWNzLWZvci1 zaGFyay1hdHRhY2tzLmh0bWw%3D) With shark attack statistics recently released for 2008, a disturbing trend in attack frequency continues to worry West Coast water-lovers. There were five unprovoked shark attacks confirmed on the Pacific Coast of North America during 2008, bringing the total number of shark attacks in this region since 2000 to 42. The Shark Research Committee says this is “more than five times” the twentieth century annual average.
In 2008, the victims included two surfers, two kayakers and one swimmer. The deadly attack on swimmer David Martin at Solana Beach in April was the third fatality confirmed for the 21st century.
The most recent victim in the new report was Tony Johnson, who was kayaking near Tomales Head at Dillon Beach, California, on December 20th, 2008. He was the eighth kayaker to be attacked off the Pacific Coast since the first reported incident in 1989. Since 2000, kayakers accounted for seven per cent of shark attack victims in California and Oregon, while surfers were still the most common targets at 76 per cent.
The Great White Shark was positively identified as the causal species in all of the 2008 attacks. According to Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century, Great Whites were also implicated in 87 per cent of the attacks from 1900 to 1999 with an annual average of slightly more than one attack per year.
The number of juvenile and adult Great White Sharks observed in the Southern California area during 2008 suggests a possible change in their population dynamics and seasonal site preferences. The location, seasonality and number of stranded marine mammal carcasses seem to support this observation. All of this may be bringing the sharks in closer contact with people.
http://www.kayakanglermag.com/news-blogs/106-disturbing-statistics-for-shark-attacks.html
In 2008, the victims included two surfers, two kayakers and one swimmer. The deadly attack on swimmer David Martin at Solana Beach in April was the third fatality confirmed for the 21st century.
The most recent victim in the new report was Tony Johnson, who was kayaking near Tomales Head at Dillon Beach, California, on December 20th, 2008. He was the eighth kayaker to be attacked off the Pacific Coast since the first reported incident in 1989. Since 2000, kayakers accounted for seven per cent of shark attack victims in California and Oregon, while surfers were still the most common targets at 76 per cent.
The Great White Shark was positively identified as the causal species in all of the 2008 attacks. According to Shark Attacks of the Twentieth Century, Great Whites were also implicated in 87 per cent of the attacks from 1900 to 1999 with an annual average of slightly more than one attack per year.
The number of juvenile and adult Great White Sharks observed in the Southern California area during 2008 suggests a possible change in their population dynamics and seasonal site preferences. The location, seasonality and number of stranded marine mammal carcasses seem to support this observation. All of this may be bringing the sharks in closer contact with people.
http://www.kayakanglermag.com/news-blogs/106-disturbing-statistics-for-shark-attacks.html