A new study released puts SA second on the fatal shark attack list for 2011 - along with Reunion and The Seychelles, SA had 2 shark attacks resulting in death last year. Australia reported 3 fatal shark attacks while Costa Rica, Kenya and New Caledonia reported 1 each.
World wide we are looking at shark attack deaths being at a 20 year high, with an average of 1 in 4 vicitms attacked being killed. A total of 75 shark attacks were reported around the world in 2011. The USA had 29 attacks, with the highest number being in Florida (11) though none of those resulted in death.
South Africa reported 5 attacks, 3 of which were not fatal.
While surfers seem to be those using the ocean who succumb to shark attacks most often, the majority of them tend to go back into the sea once they have recovered.
The top beaches for shark attacks in South Africa are Fish Hoek in Cape Town and Second Beach in Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape. Cape Town has the excellent services of the Shark Spotters helping keep the beaches safe - as long as the public listen to the Shark Spotters' warnings and heed their flags the chances of a close encounter with a shark are minimal.
