Imagine… One day soon, before setting foot in the water, you will consult a geolocated app on your smartphone which will indicate your risk of being bitten by a shark at the exact spot where you are swimming. The application, which works on the same statistical principle as weather predictions, is not yet marketed but, assure its designers, it will predict 89% of shark attacks by analyzing, thanks to artificial intelligence, historical data. , the study of marine conditions, etc.
Like every summer in July, America lives on the hour of the Sea teeth. Earlier this month, two men and a woman were bitten on the beaches of Long Island, near New York. The day before, two teenagers had been attacked in the same area. None of the injuries were fatal, but shark involvement was confirmed.
New York State authorities have been on alert since last summer: eight swimmers were bitten, six of them most likely by sharks. Until then, there had only been 12 bites in total recorded historically in this state. Many municipalities have therefore increased surveillance by equipping themselves with drones, Jet-Skis and boats that patrol near the beaches. There are also apps that track their movements. Sharktivity, created by The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, provides alerts on the proximity of great white sharks. Ocearch, a research NGO, has developed an app and a website that track the movements of a series of sharks via satellite using beacons. We thus learn that Penny, a female of 3 meters, frolics precisely not far from Long Island…
The probability of being bitten will undoubtedly decrease
According to all the experts, attacks against humans are extremely rare. There is a much higher risk of dying from drowning or the flu. In 2022, 41 bites were confirmed in the United States, out of a total of 57 worldwide. Sharks do not target swimmers and bites instead result from accident while hunting. “If they were targeting humans, we would have 10,000 bites a day,” said Gavin Naylor, director of the shark research program in Florida. “When there is a high density of fish where people are swimming and visibility is poor, there is a greater chance that young, inexperienced males will mistake a swimmer’s foot for prey. “
One of the reasons why we see more of them is that they are now being sought thanks to drones, apps and patrols, which amplifies psychosis, scientists believe. In addition, the protection of species such as seals has led to an increase in their population, particularly in the Long Island region, to the delight of sharks, whose favorite food it is. And the warming of the waters due to climate change is pushing certain species to move further north.
One certainty: the fascination for the shark is intact. Every summer, the Discovery Channel organizes “Shark Week”, during which it broadcasts all kinds of terrifying documentaries. The fear it inspires has led to the emergence of a deterrent gadget industry that is far from completely reliable. Sharks have sensory receptors on their snouts that allow them to detect magnetic fields emitted by prey. There are therefore repellent devices, for example bracelets, which emit electrical or magnetic signals to disturb their electro-sensory system. There are also camouflage surf suits that mimic the appearance of poisonous fish and sprays made from “rotten shark” supposed to ward them off… If a recent study of coral reefs around the world is to be believed, the likelihood being bitten is likely to decrease, as shark populations are declining alarmingly. Five species have seen a decline of 60 to 73% in fifty years. Main cause, overfishing.