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Shark attacks
Disturbing Statistics for Shark Attacks 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-b...k-attacks.html
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Shark kills kayaker
In Hawaii-
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...aui-coast?lite=
2 Dec 2013
11:02pm, EST
Kayak fisherman dies after shark attack off Maui coast
By Malia Mattoch McManus, Reuters
HONOLULU A man fishing from a kayak in Hawaii was attacked by a shark off the coast of Maui on Monday and died of his injuries as he was being brought to shore, marking the second fatal shark attack in the area this year, officials said.
The man had been kayak fishing between Makena and the popular diving spot of Molokini when he was bitten, said Marian Feenstra, chief of aquatics with Maui Parks and Recreation.
A friend who was kayaking with the man took him to a nearby snorkeling charter boat, which transported them to shore. But the man died prior to reaching land.
Feenstra said the incident marked at least the eighth shark attack this year off the island of Maui. Two have been fatal, including an attack on a 20-year-old woman from Germany who died after being attacked in the same area in August.
"It is higher than usual," Feenstra said of the rate of shark attacks. She added that research was being done, but it has not been determined why the number of attacks has increased. "That's the million dollar question."
Feenstra described the fisherman as experienced, adding: "He's been out there many times."
A two-mile stretch of beach was closed following the attack, and state officials will conduct a search of the area by jet ski on Tuesday morning. If no sharks are sighted in the area the beach may be reopened, she said.
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that's why I don't go into the ocean on my kayak. Yeah I will be a wimp. At least you can't call me dinner!
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I agree rob I don't even have a kayak but if I did you would never catch me above an area where there is a shark nursery with the only thing between me and those large sharp teeth is a tiny piece of plastic!
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Personally, I have a greater fear of becoming permanently disabled from a bad launch or landing or being run over by a boat than to be eaten by a shark.....Unfortunately, this year I've not been out front much due to the wind and surf.
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Interesting stats on attacks. Florida is in the top 3 places in the world with attacks.
https://screen.yahoo.com/worlds-top-...6097.html?vp=1
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