TAMPA, Fla. — Multiple swimmers were injured following two separate shark attacks on the Florida panhandle last week.
The first attack happened on Friday near a sandbar on Watersound Beach. A 45-year-old woman was with her husband when she was attacked.
She needed part of her left arm amputated and suffered "significant trauma" to her midsection.
A second attack happened about 90 minutes later and about 4 miles away.
Two teenagers were attacked at Seacrest Beach. One girl suffered significant injuries to her hand and leg and was taken to a local hospital. The other teen suffered minor injuries to her foot.
Eric Hovland, an animal care specialist with The Florida Aquarium in Tampa, said the risk of being bitten by a shark remains extremely low.
"When we're out in the water, splashing about, we're sending out signals. Sharks come in to investigate what we find is they call it a test bite. When a shark comes in, they don't have hands, so they're going to feel that environment with their teeth," said Hovland. "It's an exploratory bite. Another way of trying to determine is that really food, and I think the answer is no because when a person is bit, typically, the shark is nowhere to be seen. It's often not identified."
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File investigated 120 alleged shark-human interactions worldwide in 2023.
Florida had the most unproved shark bites in the United States in 2023.
In Florida, Volusia County had the most shark bites (eight), representing 50% of the state’s total. Of the eight remaining bites, two were in Brevard County, two in St. Lucie County, and one each occurred in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Escambia, and Pinellas counties, according to the International Shark Attack File.
"Make sure you're not by yourself, don't go out too far, be careful around structure or where you might see fish shoaling. They like to go along where shallow becomes deep quickly, might be where small fish are, sharks may be hunting there," said Hovland.
You may also minimize your risk by avoiding the water at dawn and dusk.
Experts also suggest refraining from excess splashing and not allowing pets in the water because of their erratic movements.
Also, exercise caution when occupying the area between sandbars or near steep dropoffs. Those are favorite hangouts for sharks, according to the International Shark Attack File.
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