FINS TO THE LEFT….
One of the fears that surfers have to overcome is a shark attack and for Texas surfing a shark attack is a pretty uncommon event. According to one source, the International Shark Attack File, which is put out by The Florida Museum/University of Florida, there have been 18 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in Texas since 1911. This seems low. https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/maps/na/usa/texas/
Another data source is www.sharkattackdata.com. It shows 58 unprovoked shark attacks in Texas with another 13 provoked shark attacks. The data is as of June 2016. Of the 58 provoked shark attacks 53 were non-fatal & unprovoked. (SharkAttackData) This is 91%. In the list of attacks shown, since 2009 only one SURFER was attacked and that was at Isla Blanca Park (South Padre Island). The other twelve people attacked since 2009 were not surfing. It is interesting that of the 13 attacks eight of the victims were stationary or somewhat stationary (standing, wading, kneeling, wade fishing, standing, fishing). Not one of the attacks since 2009 was fatal.
Since 2009 there has been one Provoked shark attack. It happened in the Matagorda area. The report shows that the individual was “standing, holding shark.” (SharkAttackData) It shows that there was “Minor laceration to shoulder from captive shark….” The shark species was Blacktip. This incident was non-fatal. You can see the youtube video on this: “Baby Blacktip Shark Attack – How NOT to hold a shark” . Here is the video link: https://youtu.be/r5efIbv3AoA?t=9s
Here are the areas where the unprovoked attacks occurred: South Padre Island, Eight Mile Beach, Galveston, Follett’s Island, Mustang Island, Sunday Beach, Grass Island, Surfside Beach, West Beach, and Pirates Beach. The surfer who was attacked was at Eight Mile Beach near Galveston. (SharkAttackData)
It is not possible from the data to know what the species of a likely attacker will be, based off the data from 2009-2016. Opening the details link of each attack you will see that most of the attacks were conducted by “unknown” species. Of the two know attacker species, they were both Bull sharks.
SHARKS COMMON IN TEXAS
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department shows that these are the Top 5 sharks in Texas:
- Atlantic Sharpnose
- Blacktip
- Bonnethead
- Bull
- Spinner
A few facts about each shark type:
- Atlantic Sharpnose – “can grow to 32 inches; after mating they migrate to deep water; they eat small fish, worms, shrimp, crabs, and mollusks; they get eaten by larger sharks. “~NOAA
- Blacktip – “can grow to six feet; they form schools; they eat bony fish, small sharks, squids, stingrays, shrimp, and crabs. They may follow fishing boats.” ~NOAA
- Bonnethead – Likes warm water; found near shallows near grass, mud, and sandy bottoms; forms schools; eats crabs, shrimp, mollusks, fish; up to 150cm (IUCN website) or approximately 4.9 feet. ~ Wikipedia
- Bull – up to 11 feet; may be in brackish water and possibly fresh; they eat fish, small sharks, turtles, birds, crustaceans, etc (they eat anything apparently); usually travel solo; they employ a “bumb and run” attack strategy (ie. do not play dead if hit or bitten, swim fast because they are likely to come back to finish you off). ~wikipedia
- Spinner – may resemble the Blacktip; like warm waters; eat fish, cephalopods (squids, etc.); food “excites” them; it is a “near threatened species” per IUCN; Six feet average length. ~ wiki
Link to Sharkattackdata site: http://www.sharkattackdata.com/place/united_states_of_america/texas The site seems to pull its data from Global Shark Attack File (www.sharkattackfile.net)
Link to IUCN red list : http://www.iucnredlist.org/