While the total number of shark attacks worldwide increased from 60 to 61 between 2008 and 2009 the number of attacks in the United States have dropped from 50 in 2007 to only 28 in 2009, according to a story in the Palm Beach Post. That’s the good news.
Worldwide, George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File at University of Florida said, more than half of the people who suffered shark attacks last year were surfers. . . Despite the decline over the past few years, Burgess says the number of shark attacks has risen to unprecedented levels over the past decade. . . “As scientists we don’t get so excited about individual years and tend to look at things in terms of decades,” Burgess said.
“Unprecedented levels” doesn’t sound so good. . . neither does Burgess getting “too excited.”
[Link: Palm Beach Post and International Shark Attack File]
