The waters off Walton County, Florida, have been closed after back-to-back shark bite incidents in the county Friday.
Both incidents occurred near Walton County and not near a boat, but officials are unclear how far the attacks happened from the land, said McKenzie McClintock, the South Walton Fire District PIO.
The two incidents took place about 4 miles apart within about 90 minutes hour, South Walton Fire District Chief Ryan Crawford said. There were three victims in total.
It’s “extremely unusual” for two bite incidents to occur in one afternoon, Crawford said during an evening news briefing.
A 45-year-old woman was injured in the first “reported shark incident.” It took place in the water around 1:20 p.m. in Watersound, in the area of Founders Way in Watersound Beach in the Florida Panhandle, Crawford and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said.
What to do if you are attacked
- Hit the shark on the nose.
- Claw at its eyes or gill openings.
- If diving and you can’t get out of the water quietly, back up against a nearby structure.
- Remember, playing dead does not work with sharks.
Crawford said the woman was swimming with her husband past the first sandbar when the bite occurred.
The woman was transported to a medical center in critical condition, Crawford said.
Following the first attack, the beaches in the surrounding areas flew double red flags to indicate the risk, the sheriff’s office said. The Gulf in the Walton County area was also closed to the public at that time.
Florida has long topped global charts for the number of shark bites, and 2023 was no different. Florida’s 16 cases represent 44% of the U.S. total and 23% of unprovoked bites worldwide. This is lower than Florida’s most recent five-year annual average of 19 incidents.” None of the attacks in Florida were fatal.
Not only that, but the U.S. leads world again in the number of unprovoked shark bites in 2023, according to the The Florida Museum of Natural History.
The museum compiles an annual report known as the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File, which is a scientific database of global shark attacks.
Leading the U.S. in the number of bites is Florida, with double the number of bites of the second-highest state.
The number of unprovoked shark attacks, along with the number of fatalities in 2023 was up compared to 2022.
How many unprovoked shark bites were there in 2023?
Around the world, there were 69 confirmed unprovoked shark bites in 2023. This is higher than the five-year average of 63 attacks, although it remains consistent with long-term trends, the report said.
How many unprovoked shark bites were there in Florida in 2023?
Of the 36 unprovoked shark bites in the U.S., the most occurred in Florida.
“As in previous years, Florida had more shark bites than any other state, with 16 attacks,” the report said.
“Florida has long topped global charts for the number of shark bites, and 2023 was no different. Florida’s 16 cases represent 44% of the U.S. total and 23% of unprovoked bites worldwide. This is lower than Florida’s most recent five-year annual average of 19 incidents.”
None of the attacks in Florida were fatal.
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Where did most shark bites happen in Florida in 2023?
Half of Florida’s shark attacks in 2023 happened in one county: Volusia.
Here’s the breakdown of the state’s 16 shark bites by county:
- Volusia County: 8
- Brevard County: 2
- St. Lucie County: 2
- Miami-Dade County: 1
- Palm Beach County: 1
- Escambia County: 1
- Pinellas County: 1
Most bites are associated with surfing and board sports. Here’s the breakdown:
- Surfing/board sports: 42%
- Swimming/wading: 39%
- Snorkeling/free diving: 13%
- Other: 6%
What’s the difference between provoked and unprovoked shark bites?
The Florida Museum differentiates provoked and unprovoked attacks this way:
“Unprovoked bites” are defined as incidents in which a bite on a live human occurs in the shark’s natural habitat with no human provocation of the shark.
“Provoked bites” occur when a human initiates interaction with a shark in some way. These include instances when divers are bitten after harassing or trying to touch sharks, bites on spearfishers, bites on people attempting to feed sharks, and bites occurring while unhooking or removing a shark from a fishing net.”
Shark bites by state
- Florida: 16
- Hawaii: 8
- New York: 4
- North Carolina: 3
- South Carolina: 2
- California: 2
- New Jersey: 1
How many people were killed by sharks in 2023?
Ten unprovoked shark attacks were fatal in 2023, up from five in 2022. A disproportionate number happened in Australia. Although the country accounted for 22% of all attacks, it made up 40% of fatalities.
Unprovoked fatal shark bites by country:
- United States: 2
- Australia: 4
- New Caledonia: 1
- Egypt: 1
- Bahamas: 1
- Mexico: 1
“This is within the range of the normal number of bites, though the fatalities are a bit unnerving this year,” said Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History’s shark research program.
Three fatalities in 2023 occurred at one remote surfing destination off the coast of Southern Australia, the report said.
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