What are the chances of a fatal shark attack off the Oregon coast?

PORTLAND, Oregon (COIN) — This month, several notable shark attacks occurred in the United States that received widespread media attention.

A well-known surfer, lifeguard and actor died on the north shore of Oahu on Sunday after suffering multiple shark bites. That’s what Hawaiian officials said. Three people were also injured in two separate shark attacks which occurred on Florida’s Gulf Coast on June 7 and prompted local authorities to temporarily close several beaches in the area.

Despite the recent attacks, Taylor Chapple, a shark expert at Oregon State University, told KOIN 6 News that the likelihood of a shark attack in Oregon or anywhere else on the West Coast is very low. According to a study A 2015 study co-authored by Chapple found that while the number of shark attacks in California increased between 1950 and 2013, the actual risk of shark attacks declined sharply.

“The risk has dropped by about 90% in the last 60 years,” Chapple said. “So people should be much more worried about going to the beach than about sharks on the beach.”

The sharp decline in shark attack risk could be related to undetected, long-term declines in shark populations or to changes in the behavior and spatial distribution of sharks and humans, the study says. Safety precautions are the best way to improve public safety and protect endangered marine predators, the study recommends.

“Promoting safer behavior among human marine users could prove many times more effective than (killing sharks),” the study says.

The only known fatal shark attack in Oregon occurred in 1975. The Oregonian ReportsThe victim of the attack was 62-year-old Grace Conger. Shark Research Institute has recorded 30 shark attacks in Oregon since 1974. Oregon’s recent shark attack occurred in December 2020 near Seaside, when a surfer was bitten on the leg.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission offers the following tips to avoid a shark attack:

• Always stay in a group as sharks are more likely to bite individual animals.
• Do not stray too far from the shore, as this will isolate you and put you far from any help.
• Avoid being in the water during darkness or twilight, as this is when sharks are most active.
• Do not enter the water if you are bleeding from an open wound or if you are on your period, as sharks have a strong ability to smell blood.
• Wearing shiny jewelry is not recommended. When light reflects off shiny jewelry, it resembles the shine of fish scales.
• Avoid waters with known discharges or sewage, as well as waters used for any type of fishing.
• Although there are myths and anecdotes about dolphins saving humans from shark bites, the presence of dolphins does not mean that sharks do not exist, as they often feed on the same food.
• Be especially careful in cloudy water.
• Remember that sharks are particularly sensitive to contrast. Uneven tans and brightly colored clothing can attract a shark’s attention.
• Avoid excessive splashing as this may attract the attention of a shark.
• Do not allow pets into the water: their erratic movements could attract the attention of a shark.
• Be careful when staying in the areas between sandbars or near steep drop-offs, as these are popular shark haunts.
• Only swim in areas patrolled by lifeguards.
• Do not enter the water if you know sharks are present and leave the water if you see sharks.
• Never harass a shark!