Shark attack

Actress Susan Backlinie playing Chrissie Watkins in a shark attack scene in the movie Jaws

Wound caused by a leopard shark that left one of its teeth in the torso of Charlotte Brynn during her attempt to cross the Catalina Channel

noun - A shark attack is an attack on a human by a shark. Every year around 100 shark attacks are reported worldwide. Seventeen fatalities are recorded as having being caused by shark attacks in 2011, out of 118 recorded attacks. Despite their relative rarity, many people fear shark attacks after occasional serial attacks, such as the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916, and horror fiction and films such as the Jaws series.

Almost all shark experts consider that the danger presented by sharks has been exaggerated.

Shark Attack versus Shark Encounter

A shark attack is different from a shark encounter. A shark encounter is when an open water swimmer or any individual in an open body of water is approached by or approaches a shark or group of sharks within visual range. There is no physical contact between a human and a shark in a shark encounter.

International Shark Attack File

The International Shark Attack File is a global database of shark attacks. It began as an attempt to catalogue shark attacks on servicemen during World War II. The Office of Naval Research funded it from 1958 until 1968. During that time a panel of shark experts developed a standard system for collecting accounts of shark attacks from around the world. The file was temporarily housed at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida until a permanent home was found at the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. It is currently under the direction of members of the American Elasmobranch Society. The file contains information on over 4,000 shark attacks and includes detailed, often privileged, information including autopsy reports and graphic photos. The file is accessible only to scientists whose access is permitted only by a review board.

Burgert van der Westhuizen, a South African open water swimmer. Photo by Carl Newman

Burgert van der Westhuizen was a South African open water swimmer who tragically passed away while swimming in Jeffreys Bay after a shark attack at the age of 74. Van der Westhuizen was an experienced open water swimmer who regularly swam along the coastline of Jeffreys Bay and in the canals of Marina Martinique and competed in the JBay Swim Challenge in 2012.

Tiger Shark Tracking in Hawaii

Hawaiʻi Tiger Shark Tracking provided by PacIOOS or the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System.

Jaws Opening Scene

Susan Backlinie plays Chrissie Watkins in the opening shark attack scene in the Steven Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster movie Jaws that inaccurately shaped many people's perceptions and opinions of sharks.

WOWSA Live Interview with Charlotte Brynn

Charlotte Brynn on the 6 May 2020 WOWSA Live interview with International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame chairman Ned Denison.

External links

• Sharkbanz – The Best Shark Deterrent for Open Water Swimming
• Summer Shoes For Ocean Swimmers
• Cathy Delneo Talks Sharks And Wildlife Protection Policy On WOWSA Live
• Charlotte Brynn Not Fearing Failure On WOWSA Live
• 2019 WOWSA Award Winners Announced
• Adherbal Treidler de Oliveira Is 2019 World Open Water Swimming Man Of The Year
• Emergency Descriptions & Medical Codes Used In The Open Water
• International Shark Attack File
• Shark Attack Survivors World Wide Shark Attack File
• Global Shark Attack File
• Shark Encounters
• International Shark Attack File
• Shark Survivors
• Rules And Regulations Across The Seven Seas
• Why Swim Together In A Shark Encounter
• Boat Assisted Swims Around Manhattan Island
• The Most Viewed Open Water Swimmer In History
• Quint, Hooper, Brody In The Open Water Swimming World
• Jaws Was Hollywood, Global Carnage Is A True Story
• When Jellyfish Replace Sharks
• A Real Shark Tale By Charlotte Brynn
• Documenting Shark Attacks
• One False Move By Ned Denison Across The Bay
• When Failure Is An Option
• 2013 World Open Water Swimming Woman Of The Year Nominees
• The Uncommon, Unselfish Bravery Of Terry Olivier
• Smell The Sea, Feel The Sky In Memory Of Burgert van der Westhuizen
• When SEALs Stand Up To Sharks
• Are Sharks Increasing Or Have They Always Been There?
• The Inexcusable, Inhumane Lack Of Regard Of Swimmers
• Steven Robles, Friends Heading Right Back To The Ocean
• What Should You Do In The Case Of A Shark Encounter?
• Armed With Nothing But A Swimsuit
• Attacking Open Water Swimmers From Below
• Shark Encounters Of The Closest Kind
• Ocean Adventurers Weigh Risks And Rewards, Part 2
• Ocean Adventurers Weigh Risks And Rewards, Part 1
• Shark Spawning Season In September
• Hawaii Tiger Shark Tracking
• Findings Of Hawaii Tiger Shark Tracking
• What Is On The Menu In The Open Water?
• How Do You Prepare For Sharks?
• How Can You Not Panic?
• Ranie Pearce's Description Of Her Shark Encounter
• Adherbal de Oliveira Hit By Cookiecutter Shark In Molokai Channel
• Kiko Cruises, Rodrigo Gralha Garcia Does Travessia do Leme ao Pontal
• Shark Attack & Recovery By Adherbal de Oliveira
• Open Water Swimming
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• Matt & Manoa Buckman, Heroes In The Ocean