Shark Facts

Bathers have a better chance of winning the Florida Lottery than being bitten by a shark in the state.*

All incidents are recorded as a bite, even if it’s a scratch.

To date, there have been no fatalities on Volusia’s 47 miles of beaches due to sharks. Most bites are small. However, there have been a few more serious injuries.

Volusia’s beaches have been labeled the "Shark Capital of the World," but this label does not take into account the sheer number of people who swim daily without incident.

An average of 10 million bathers visit Volusia’s beaches each year. Volusia County has more bather activity than any other beach in the state.* However, the most shark bites recorded in one year in the County was 22 in 2001.

Juvenile Black Tip and Spinner sharks cause the majority of bites. These young sharks are learning to find food and get disoriented when they get into the wave area near the beach. Once they bite a human, a warm-blooded animal, they quickly realize their mistake and let go.

The majority of incidents occur near the Ponce DeLeon Inlet and piers, where bait fish are plentiful. Sharks go to these areas looking for food. Accordingly, these areas provide the best wave action for surfers.

Most shark bite victims are surfers who flock to the inlet.

Beach patrol officers are highly skilled. They are certified as emergency medical technicians, lifeguards and police officers. The Volusia County Beach Patrol is one of only 36 advanced lifesaving agencies in the United States.

Beach lifeguards are trained to look for dangerous marine life and provide warnings, if needed.

For more information and statistics on shark attacks in Florida from the Florida Marine Research Institute click here.

* Source: Dr. George Burgess, Director of the International Shark Attack Files, University of Florida Museum of Natural History.

Updated, 4/15/2002