Audubon Aquarium expert weighs in on recent Gulf Coast shark attacks

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A cluster of shark attacks happening along the Gulf Coast in the last week has beachgoers on high alert.

Several beaches in Florida were shut down after two separate attacks left three people injured, including two teens.

An expert at the Audubon Aquarium says just because it’s happening, doesn’t mean it’s happening more often.

“We really aren’t seeing more shark attacks,” Kristine Grzenda said. “I know it feels that way, but we may be seeing more locally. worldwide the number stays pretty consistent, and it’s always around the same time of year. of course, it’s the time that we are flooding to the beaches.”

Experts believe bull sharks are behind the recent attacks. Grzenda says it’s typically a more aggressive species at fault.

“Some of your more typical ones, your bull sharks, your tiger sharks, people are familiar with those shark attacks can have a tendency to kind of move as as sharks and naturally move within the region following food sources.”

The exact type has yet to be confirmed. As for statistics, she says, so far, this year is pretty consistent, with recent trends remaining fairly rare.

“There’s about 70 to 100 worldwide. To give you a little bit of a reference point, there are about 4.5 million dog attacks in the u.s. alone every year. 70 to 100 worldwide, it is incredibly rare,” Grzenda said.

If you plan to stay local during the summer, Kristine says its possible we could see something like this in Louisiana but not all that likely.

“It’s hard to really say where they are going to be, but I’m not going to tell you that any areas are more likely or more dangerous than others because swimming at the beach is a very safe thing to do, statistically.”

Grzenda says sharks become active hunters during dusk and dawn, meaning the best time to be in the ocean is right in the middle of the day.

“Dawn and dusk kind of stay out of the water is a good tip,” Grzenda said.

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