There’s a lot of talk lately about this 8-year-old boy that was attacked by a bull shark in Pensacola Florida this week. It’s sad that the kid is hurt, and I don’t wish that on anyone, but I sure wish people would shut the fuck up.
There are “experts” and biologists on TV, explaining that bull sharks are vicious animals. There are people talking about solutions to the “shark problem” (which, invariably, will mean violence toward sharks). All of this disturbs me.
Yes, sharks attack people. And, people die. But, let’s look at the statistics. Last year marked the highest number of shark attacks since statistics started being compiled… and we had a whopping 79 worldwide. Yes, seventy-nine. Of those, 10 died. I’m not talking about 10 people in Pensacola, or in the US. I’m talking about ten people worldwide dying from shark attacks. That statistic comes from CNN.
Compare 10 deaths worldwide with the following sample of statistics for the United States for 1999, compiled by the CDC. (The document I’m quoting from can be found here [Adobe Acrobat required]. There were a lot more deaths last year than I’m quoting, of course, I’ve just picked a few causes to show.)
| Cause | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Accidents | 42437 |
| Suicide | 29041 |
| Alcohol-induced | 19086 |
| Drug-induced | 18443 |
| Homicide | 16831 |
| Malnutrition | 3773 |
| Accidental Drowning | 3513 |
| Hernia | 1463 |
| Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Puerperium | 399 |
Interesting, huh? Ten people die from shark attack, and we’re all up in arms, wanting to kill sharks everywhere, to remove the threat and make the oceans safe. Because they’re obviously not nearly as safe as we’re accustomed to being in our daily lives, right? (smirk)
If we’re so worred about safety, there are a few other things we should take care of. First of all, stop having children! You’re 40 times more likely to die from trying to have a child than you are from a shark attack. Oh wait, I’m comparing national numbers to worldwide numbers. My mistake… you’re over 40 times more likely to die having a child in the US. You’re 146 times more likely to die from a hernia. Stop lifting heavy things, for christ’s sake! And, why not stay out of the water altogether? You’re 350 times more likely to drown than to die from shark attack. Hell, let’s remove shark attack death from the picture… since the attack itself is unpleasant, how much more likely are you to be attacked? Over 44 times more likely to drown than to be attacked by a shark.
I won’t even bother with the others … operating a car, drinking, doing drugs, etc. You can read. The bottom line is this … leave the damn sharks alone. They’re out doing their thing, we’re out doing ours. Occasionally, our paths cross, and occasionally it’s sad for us. Far more often, it’s sad for the shark. It’s the same story with all animals that have the ability to kill us… they do so in small numbers, on very rare occasion, and far less often than we kill them.
Yes, I’m a shark enthusiast. I also believe I’m sane on this one. For pictures of some of my non-lethal shark encounters (including snorkling with bulls … on purpose!), check my personal photo gallery for my trips to Walker’s Cay. By the way, one of the shark researchers I have been diving with, Dr. Erich Ritter, is the lead researcher on the team investigating this attack on the 8-year-old boy.
