What makes sharks attack humans?

Sharks attack and kill 10 humans per year, on average. Humans, in contrast, annually kill about 20 to 30 million sharks, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History's Department of Ichthyology. That shark death estimate, based on commercial and sport fishing landings, could even be conservative. read more

Sharks attack and kill 10 humans per year, on average. Humans, in contrast, annually kill about 20 to 30 million sharks, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History's Department of Ichthyology. read more

Most sharks don’t attack humans. There are something like 440 species of shark and only a handful of those (such as the great white, tiger shark, bull shark and oceanic white-tip) are responsible for attacks on humans, which are extremely rare, with an average of around 7 reported fatalities per year, worldwide. read more

Feeding is not the reason sharks attack humans. In fact, humans do not provide enough high-fat meat for sharks, which need a lot of energy to power their large, muscular bodies. A shark will normally make one swift attack and then retreat to wait for the victim to die or weaken from shock and blood loss, before returning to feed. read more