Sharks which attack people the most

Tiger sharks will eat just about anything, although their preferred prey includes sea turtles , rays, fish including bony fish and other shark species , seabirds, cetaceans such as dolphins , squid, and crustaceans. Tiger sharks are found in both coastal and open waters, especially in the tropical waters of the Pacific and other tropical and subtropical ocean areas.

Bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas are large sharks that prefer shallow, murky waters less than feet deep. This is a perfect recipe for shark attacks, as these habitats are where humans swim, wade, or fish.

The International Shark Attack File lists bull sharks as the species with the third-highest number of unprovoked shark attacks. From — there were unprovoked bull shark attacks 27 fatal. Bull sharks grow to a length of about Females are larger on average than males. Bull sharks have gray back and sides, a white underside, large first dorsal fin and pectoral fins, and small eyes for their size.

Less keen eyesight is another reason why they may confuse humans with more tasty prey. Although these sharks eat a wide variety of food, humans aren't really on bull sharks' list of preferred prey. Their target prey is usually fish both bony fish as well as sharks and rays. They will also eat crustaceans, sea turtles, cetaceans i. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance.

Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Fossil remains suggest the Great White dates back to the early Eocene eras, which lasted from about 56 to 34 million years ago.

Mature males reach an average size of Active during daytime hours, Great Whites feed on marine animals - they don't like sea birds or sea otters particularly. It's thought that they attack humans when they mistake diver and surfer silhouettes in the water during approaching from below the surface of the water.

To those who witnessed what happened, however, it was anything but gentle. The water around Mighall exploded as a five-metre-long great white shark latched onto her right leg, lifted her off the surfboard and shook her in the air before disappearing underwater.

All I could see was my black wetsuit leg, its teeth, pink gums, teeth and the dark bit under its nose where it meets white. I thought I was having a nightmare and kept trying to blink my eyes open. The shark that attacked Hannah Mighall took an enormous bite out of her surfboard before it allowed her to bob back to the surface Credit: Malcolm Mighall.

The shark pulled away from him and as it went underwater it let go of Mighall, lunging instead for her surfboard that was still attached by a rope to her leg. With the board in its mouth, the shark pulled Mighall underwater for a second time. Moments later she popped back up to the surface with her damaged board.

The animal had bitten clean through the fibreglass and foam. Mundy grabbed hold of his cousin, put her on his back and paddled frantically for the shore. Now she was doing it for real. The shark came with us all the way up to the beach as there is a deep gutter running up to it. We could see its fin as it surfed in on the same wave. Luckily for Mighall, among the few people on the beach who witnessed what had happened that day were a doctor and a nurse.

They gave her vital first aid while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. Her right leg is noticeably weaker than her left — so much so that she has to lift it with her hands when she wants to kick-start the dirt bike she rides occasionally.

Great white sharks typically attack their prey from below with great speed, delivering a single devastating bite Credit: Getty Images.

Mighall was one of roughly 83 people around the world to be attacked unprovoked by sharks in It is a figure that has remained around the same level over the past decade. The average number of unprovoked attacks between , for example, was But recent research indicates that shark attacks in some parts of the world appear to be on the rise. The eastern US and southern Australia have seen shark attack rates almost double in the past 20 years , while Hawaii has also seen a sharp increase.

But why? This seems like an obvious point, but when you look closer at where attacks are taking place there are some clues as to what might be going on. The large human populations along the southern coast of Australia and the eastern coast of the US mean large numbers of people enjoying the water.

But southern Australia has also seen rising numbers of fur seals along its coastline, the favourite prey of great white sharks in the region. The resurgence in seal populations on Cape Cod on the east coast of the US has led to rising numbers of great white sharks in areas popular with people Credit: Getty Images.

This has led to increased numbers of great whites in the area too during the warm summer months as they look to feast on the seals that pull themselves out to bask on the beaches. Sadly, last autumn, Massachusetts suffered its first fatal shark attack in 82 years and growing numbers of shark sightings have led to a string of beach closures. But there is no real evidence that sharks are actively hunting humans, according to the scientists who study them.

Great whites in the North Atlantic, for example, show seasonal movement patterns, migrating thousands of miles to warmer waters further south during the winter months.

Some mature adults will venture out into the open ocean for months at a time , covering tens of thousands of miles and diving to depths of 1,m as they seek prey. But despite being potentially such an easy meal, sharks are really not that interested in hunting humans. I think if people knew how frequently they were in water with sharks, they would probably be surprised.

However, Naylor believes that the official statistics on shark attacks are probably an underestimate. Most reports come from highly developed countries with large populations and highly active news media. Attacks on remote islands or in less developed communities probably go unreported. Looking at the statistics for the number of shark attacks last year can reveal some fascinating trends.

Just four of these were fatal according to the International Shark Attack File, although another database of shark attacks records seven deaths. So far in , there have been four fatal shark attacks. Tiger sharks are one of the three main species responsible for attacks on humans but much of the time they ignore people in the ocean Credit: Getty Images. The reason for the fall — which bucks the overall trend of growing numbers of attacks — has been attributed to a sharp decline in the number of black-tipped sharks.

These sharks account for many of the bites around the south-eastern US, migrating down the coast of Florida due to rising sea temperatures that have led their prey to become more dispersed. The findings highlight one of the key challenges in understanding why sharks bite humans.

There are dozens of different species responsible for bites , each with their own unique behaviour, hunting strategies, prey and preferred habitat — although in many cases the species can be misidentified or not identified at all.

The majority of unprovoked attacks on humans where a species is identified involve three large culprits: the great white, tiger and bull sharks.