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Nine unprovoked shark attacks were confirmed from the Pacific
Coast of North America during 2007, which equaled the previous
Pacific Coast record set in 2004. Victims of the nine attacks
included 2 swimmers, 1 kayaker, 1 paddle boarder, and 5 surfers.
The attacks were scattered over a five month period; .June (1),
July (4), August (1), September (2), and October (1). Five of
the nine attacks (56%) were from a ‘recurring location’
with the Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias,
positively identified as the causal species in four of the nine
attacks and was highly suspect in three additional cases.
The publication “Shark Attacks of the Twentieth
Century” described 108 authenticated unprovoked
shark attacks from the Pacific Coast between 1900 and 1999.
The Great White Shark, was implicated in 94 (87%) of the attacks;
with an annual average of slightly more than one shark attack
per year. It is compelling that since the year 2000 there
have been 37 unprovoked shark attacks reported from the Pacific
Coast. This is ‘more than five times’
the Twentieth Century annual average and ‘more than
one-third’ the total number of attacks reported
during the entire Twentieth Century.
The most recent victim was Sam Bendall surfing 80 –
100 feet from shore near the Venice Pier, Los Angeles County
the morning of October 7, 2007. Bendal was the seventy-first
surfer to be attacked off the Pacific Coast since 1972 when
the first shark attack on a surfer was reported. He was the
145th shark attack victim since 1900. The Great White Shark
has been implicated in 125 (86%) of the 145 reported attacks.
Since the year 2000 there have been 31 shark attacks confirmed
from California, which includes 2 fatalities, with 6 unprovoked
attacks reported from Oregon. Surfers accounted for 30 (81%)
of the 37 shark attacks documented since 2000. The number
of adult and juvenile Great White Sharks reported from Southern
California during 2007 suggests a possible increase in their
population. In response to these observations, the Shark Research
Committee will embark on an archival satellite tagging program
in early spring 2008 to gather data on juvenile and adult
Great White Sharks in Southern California waters. A volunteer
proactive reporting network will assist in supporting the
future efforts for determination of Great White Shark population
dynamics and shark/human interactions.
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