Do sharks really attack humans at the beach?

When I visited the Universal Studios Japan 2 years ago, I remember there was a ride called "Jaws" where we sat on a boat that went around the water. Throughout the ride, there were many sharks that suddenly sprang out of the water to scare us and there was also a cool part where there was fire coming out of the boat shed. I've always wondered - do sharks really look for people as prey? Do they attack humans at the beach?

How many people get bitten?

According to the World Animal Foundation, about 63 people get attacked by sharks every year. I think I visit the beach about 15-20 times a year at least, so that makes the chance of getting bitten by a shark very unlikely. The research divides the shark attacks into two categories: provoked and unprovoked attacks. I really wonder who would actually provoke a shark to bite them!

It also seems that mainly surfers and swimmers form most of these attacks. It makes sense if you are swimming away from the shore where it'll be difficult for sharks to swim in, given their size.

Not surprisingly, the US and Australia have the highest number of shark attacks, since the temperature of the water and availability of prey attract sharks.

Who did it?

The three shark species most guilty of these attacks are the great white, tiger and bull sharks. While great whites are usually in deeper waters, tiger and bull sharks sometimes swim near the coast. They do that to look for prey or are just simply curious. Interestingly, some sharks bite just to 'taste' what humans are like.

Shark safety

Since sharks usually attack at sun rise and sun set, it is safer to be out in the waters in the morning or afternoons. Sharks also hunt fish, so if you see a group of people fishing in the area, it is best to swim in another part of the beach!

Experts say that shark attacks are rare, meaning that they don't usually happen so don't worry. The next time you are at the beach, keep a look out - you might see an interesting sight!