Should you be scared of Sharks Attacks in Panama?

Update: By now you have likely seen the video footage of professional Surfer, Mick Fanning’s brush with death at the J-bay open that took place last month on Eastern Cape of South Africa. During the competition the Aussie surfer encountered what was believed to be a massive bull shark. As he was tossed off his board, Mick punched the shark while kicking and screaming to get away. Miraculously he escaped unharmed. This was the first time an attack like this occurred during a professional surf competition and was aired live on television. Not long after a second surfer, Craig Ison warded off a shark attack by punching the predator after it bit his leg while surfing with about 100 other surfers at Evans Head, in northern New South Wales. But it is not just Australian surfers who have been encountering sharks lately, over half a dozen human-shark interactions have occurred in a very short period of time in the continental United States. The events (and media coverage) have made some beach goers weary of entering the water. What has caused the recent shark attacks? And should we be concerned about it here in Panama?

Several media outlets have looked to scientists to explain the “increase in shark attacks", and determine why sharks are "hungry for humans." Here is what the experts have to say:

George Burgess of the International Shark Attack file explains that the main factor is probably quite simple: there have never been more people in the water. However, there are also some environmental factors at work, said Burgess. Some can be easily determined, including the warm temperatures and nesting turtles that bring sharks closer to shore, while others are less obvious. These include a new moon, incoming tide, transition time (dusk or dawn), and the presence of chum or bait in the water. A combination of these factors might help explain the rare occurrence of multiple attacks in a single location, taking place in a short period of time.

Several of the recent encounters are believed to have been with bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas). Bull sharks are thought to be the most intelligent, adaptable and least predictable out of the handful of sharks that pose a threat to humans. Round-bellied, with tiny eyes, a female bull (larger than the males) can reach a length of about eleven feet and weigh over 500 pounds. The kidneys of bull sharks gradually adjust to suit the salinity of the water they are in. This adaptation, called osmoregulation, gives bull sharks the freedom to move between salt and fresh water, allowing them to enter river mouths and swim for miles upstream. While bull sharks have a reputation for being aggressive, interactions with humans are more likely associated with our shared desire to hang out in estuaries.

Though the warm coastal waters of Panama make an ideal environment for bull sharks, reports indicate attacks have been rare throughout Panama’s history. Between 2003 and 2009 four shark attacks were reported, with one fatality. These attacks occurred all over Panama - two in Bocas del Toro, one in the Pearl Islands, and another in the Pacific Beach area. However, the attack occurring in the Pearl Islands in 2003 was provoked; a spear fisherman irritated a nurse shark (typically docile) and received a bite to the forearm.

While we would like to say, “death by a falling coconut is more likely than a fatal shark attack”, we’ve had some trouble confirming this statistic.   

As it turns out, nobody issues annual reports on coconut deaths. The statistic is likely just an urban legend. What we have found is that even incidents where real statistics exist can often be misleading. For example, based on the number of annual incidents, you are more likely to be stuck by lightning than be attacked by a shark. Anyone can be stuck by lightning during a storm, but the chance of being attacked by a shark exists only if you enter the ocean - this chance increases if you are a surfer, or spend a lot of time swimming in the open ocean. If you never go out in a storm you will never be struck by lightning. If you never swim in the ocean (and avoid a handful of lakes), you will never encounter a shark.

This shouldn’t stop you from swimming in the ocean. The odds of getting attacked and killed by a shark are extremely slim – according to the Wildlife Museum.org the odd are 1 in 3,748,067.

From our experience here in Panama, we can confidently say you are far more likely to get heat stoke, step on a sting ray, or getting hit by an SUV in the parking lot. However, by educating yourself on the ocean and the animals that call it home, you can greatly reduce your chances of finding yourself in a dangerous situation.

When asked, “just how many sharks there really are in the water?” Burgess responded, “Shark populations in the United States and around the world are at perhaps all-time lows. On the other hand, the human population continues to rise every year. We have no curbing of that.”

If you are still not convinced you will probably not die from a shark attack, you can minimize your chances of encountering a shark even further by following the advice below:

1 - Don't swim at dawn or dusk when sharks are actively feeding. Visibility in the water is also lower at this time, and this can lead to mistaken identity bites.

2 - Don't swim with open wounds, as blood in the water can attract sharks even from several miles away.

3 - Don't wear contrasting colors. According to experts high-contrasting colors seem to confuse sharks, even contrasting tan lines have been speculated to lead to mistaken identity bites.

4 – Don’t wear shiny jewelry, the reflected light resembles the sheen of fish scales.

5 - Don't thrash. Frantic paddling and splashing looks like a wounded fish to a shark, for this reason dogs swimming in the ocean can also draw their attention.

It is important to keep in mind that humans are a much bigger threat to sharks than sharks to humans. Of the 40 species of sharks that swim in Panama’s waters, more than half are threatened, or near threatened with extinction (Red List of Threatened Species). In recent years there has been an increase in the fishing of young sharks, specifically hammerheads, which have not had a chance to reproduce.

Fishing data shows that 96 percent of the hammerhead sharks caught in Panama’s waters are newborn or juveniles. With little regulation, the meat is often sold as fillet or used in ceviche.

While bull sharks are not currently threatened or endangered, they are also fished widely for their meat, hides, and oils. Though there is little information on their populations, their numbers are likely shrinking as well.