In the year 2022, the United States of America witnessed 108 people being attacked by sharks, according to a report by World Animal Foundation. Out of these 108 attacks, 57 were unprovoked bites. Although, why do sharks attack humans? Scientists have pondered the question many times, and have come to various conclusions. The reasons could be multitudinous, from curiosity to feeling threatened, and then just exhibiting plain old predator behavior.

Whatever the reasons behind sharks pouncing on humans, the usual reaction is fear, paranoia, and even attempts to get away as far as possible. However, this particular surfer had an entirely different response, one that will shock you.

Surfing enthusiasts nonchalant about shark’s proximity

In an Instagram video that was re-shared by a handle named @themalibuartist, a surfer was seen paddling through the clear waters of the ocean. Just under the surface of the water, a shark was slowly approaching the surfer. The surfer’s reaction to the approaching shark was astonishing, to say the least. Instead of panicking, or trying to escape, the surfer calmly kept minding his own business. In fact, he seemed overjoyed to be going through this experience.

The caption to the post explained his behavior, and it said, “Respect is the name of the game. Humans are not on the menu, that much is evident, but a wild animal is a wild animal. It’s about respecting their home, and understanding their behavior.” Something all schools of thought agree on is that sharks don’t hunt people, i.e., sharks never attack humans with the intention of eating them. But then, why do they bite at all? One of the most common reasons provided for the same is curiosity. When people enter the water and splash around, these predators of the sea get curious. Sharks mainly rely on their mouths to gather information.

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Therefore, they might do a ‘taste’ test, and after realizing that people are not food, they would subsequently let them be. Barring unprovoked attacks, another major reason for the sharks to bite is self-defense. Sharks give out warning signs to anyone approaching them. If these warning signals don’t work, the shark may bite in self-defense. Sharks have a fearsome reputation and they are at the top of the food chain when it comes to the ocean.

Some interesting facts about shark attacks

While they might pose a threat to anyone surfing or swimming in the ocean, if their habitat is respected and they are left alone, the chances of being mauled by a shark are rarer than one would think. The chances of death by a shark attack are only one in 3,748,067. Usually, the sharks who attack humans are Great White sharks or other sharks who are apex predators. The highest number of shark attacks in a given year is usually reported in the United States of America, followed by Australia. The media often reports a stark rise in shark-related deaths, which leads to a scary reputation amongst humans.

However, an analysis of the trends indicates that this rise in number is actually attributable to the rise in human population and the number of shark attacks per capita remains almost the same. At the end of the day, the human race poses a larger threat to the sharks than they pose to us. Sharks might bite about 100 humans every year because of curiosity or in defense, but humans kill as many as a hundred million sharks per year, only for their personal and commercial gain.

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