State: Experts agree: It's safe to swim

TAMPA -- More than 25 years ago, University of Florida shark expert George Burgess and his colleagues decided they needed to hold a conference to help people better understand the creatures.

The reason? The 1975 summer blockbuster movie Jaws, which instilled fear in millions of moviegoers and beach bathers.

More than two decades later, after the dramatic attack on 8-year-old Jessie Arbogast last summer and the media frenzy that followed, Burgess and other researchers decided it was time for another reality check.

A three-day conference, which began Wednesday at the Hyatt Regency Tampa City Center, brought more than 200 marine scientists from around the country. Their message: Shark attacks are rare.

In fact, the word "attack" is overused, Burgess said, as most incidents are minor, similar to dog bites.

After the July attack in which Arbogast's arm was bitten off and recovered from the shark's gullet after his uncle wrestled it to shore, the media began looking for other shark-related stories, Burgess said.

"Sharks always sell," he said. "Let's face it. They're exciting stuff."

Exciting, yes. Major threats, no, he contended.

"The media started digging, and there's always something sharky going on in Florida," he said.

Actually, the year 2001 was typical for shark bites, he said. Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File, which tracks the incidents, said in a normal year the number of shark attacks increases with the number of beachgoers. But while the attacks go up, the rate remains the same.

And because attacks correlate with the number of people in the water, the year-by-year numbers can vary based on socio-economic and meteorological effects, he said. If the economy is slow, for instance, fewer people vacation and fewer are bitten. If it's a rainy summer, the effect can be similar.

In 2000, more than 264-million people went to U.S. beaches, and 23 were bitten by sharks, the United States Lifesaving Association reported. By comparison, 132 people died from drowning, heart attacks or other accidents on the beach, the lifeguard organization said.

Kevin Lollar, an environmental reporter for the Fort Pierce News-Press, spoke about the role of the media.

"We anthropomorphize these sharks like they're out there stalking us," he said.

He would not, however, criticize the vast amount of copy and air time shark-related stories have garnered over the past year. Reporters did their jobs, he said.

But as researchers and shark experts educate the media about sharks, the media need to become more active in educating the public, he said.

Experts say another contributing factor in shark bites is humans not taking the proper precautions. Their advice to beachgoers: Don't swim alone, don't splash like a fish, don't swim between dusk and dawn and don't swim with a bleeding wound.

"The ocean is a wild environment, and when you go in, you're entering the shark's home," said Margo Schulze-Haugen of the National Marine Fisheries Service. "And sharks will be sharks."

-- Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Reducing the risk of shark attack

Always stay in groups because sharks are more likely to attack a solitary individual.

Do not wander too far from shore.

Do not enter water if bleeding or with an open wound.

Wearing shiny jewelry is discouraged because it reflects light and can resemble the sheen of fish scales.

Avoid waters being used by sport or commercial fishermen, especially when there are signs of bait fishes in the area. Diving seabirds are a good indicator.

Avoid murky water and don't wear bright clothing in the water, sharks see contrast particularly well.

Be cautious in areas between sandbars and steep drop-offs, those are favorite hangouts for sharks.

Do not harass a shark if you see one.

-- Source: The International Shark Attack File

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Lucy Morgan

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