Here are the most common ways sharks attack and how to survive — and avoid — them

James PasleyJan 12, 2024, 18:01 IST

A Great White Shark surfaces from the water near a person’s outstretched hand.Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

The top five most common places for shark attacks are the US, Australia, and South Africa.
The most common culprits are great white sharks, tiger sharks, and bull sharks.

You're probably not going to get attacked by a shark.

In 2022, there were 81 unprovoked shark attacks around the world and five people were killed. This was down from nine deaths in 2021 and 10 deaths in 2020, according to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File.

Overall, the odds of getting attacked by a shark are low, and there are things you can do to lower those odds even more.

Chances are you're not likely to get attacked by a shark.

A great white shark swims close to the Cape Cod shore in Chatham, Massachusetts, near a boat.Wayne Davis/Atlantic White Shark Conservancy/AP

Between 1950 and 2020, unprovoked shark attacks increased from an average of 50 shark attacks per year to 80 shark attacks per year.

A lifeguard drives on a California beach where a surfer was killed earlier in a shark attack.Karl Mondon/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images

If you're going to get attacked, the most likely culprits will be great white sharks, tiger sharks, and bull sharks.

Roy Scheider as Amity police chief Brody battles a great white shark in a scene from the 1975 Steven Spielberg movie, "Jaws."Screen Archives/Getty Images

Tiger sharks are large, curious, and aggressive.

A tiger shark swimming in the water near the Bahamas.Reinhard Dirscherl/Ullstein Bild/Getty Images

But of the three, bull sharks are considered the most dangerous.

A bull shark swimming on the sandy bottom of the Caribbean Sea.Alexis Rosenfeld/Getty Images

There are a number of other sharks that are less likely to attack but still could, including hammerheads, makos, whitetips, and reef sharks.

A hammerhead shark swimming near Ecuador.Reinhard Dirscherl/Ullstein Bild/Getty Images

There are three main types of unprovoked shark attacks. The first is known as the "hit and run."

Mick Fanning, an Australian surfer, swimming near a shark whose fin surfaced in the waters near South Africa.WSL/World Surf League/Getty Images

The next type of attack is called the "bump and bite." This is usually when a shark attacks divers or people swimming in deep water.

A great white shark in the Pacific Ocean.Reinhard Dirscherl/Ullstein Bild/Getty Images

Finally, there's the "sneak" attack, which is similar to the "bump and bite," except that there's no circling.

A great white shark in the Pacific Ocean near Mexico.Reinhard Dirscherl/Ullstein Bild/Getty Images

To limit your chances of being attacked by a shark, avoid swimming in estuaries and deep channels between sandbars and the shore.

An aerial view of three estuaries on South Carolina’s coast.Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

You should avoid any water where there are fishing boats, where seabirds are diving, or where dolphins are swimming.

A sky full of gannets diving for mackerel near the Shetland Islands.Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

You should also avoid areas where sharks have recently been spotted, or swimming out too far on your own.

A sign on a beach after a shark attack in Cape Cod.Wendy Maeda/The Boston Globe/Getty Images

Timing your swim can make a difference, too. Dusk and dawn are the most common times for a shark attack because it's when they usually hunt.

Friends and family of Adam Strange, the victim of a fatal shark attack walk toward Muriwai Beach for a sunset farewell in Auckland, New Zealand.Sandra Mu/Getty Images

What you wear can also have an impact.

A great white shark eating fish in the Pacific Ocean near California.Reinhard Dirscherl/Ullstein Bild/Getty Images

If you do end up face-to-face with a shark, don't panic. The best thing to do is try to get out of the water without splashing too much.

Competitors race towards the finish line at the end of the annual Shark Island Swim off South Cronulla beach in Australia.Craig Golding/Sydney Morning Herald/Fairfax Media/Getty Images

If you're surfing, kayaking, or paddle boarding and you can't get out of the water, put the board or kayak between you and the shark.

Simon Letch, who was attacked by a shark while surfing, poses for a photo with his board with bite marks from a shark.Fairfax Media via Getty Images

If you can't get out of the water, then you may need to defend yourself. Experts advise aiming for a shark's gills, eyes, or nose.

A great white shark in Mexico.Reinhard Dirscherl/Ullstein Bild/Getty Images

Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, told Time the worst thing you can do is play dead.

A great white shark with a chunk of horse meat in its mouth hung near an underwater cage.Bettmann/Getty Images

If you are bitten by a shark and manage to get away, your last step is to get out of the water as soon as you can and stop any bleeding.

Warning signs by entrance to Nauset Town Beach at Cape Cod.David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

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Here are the most common ways sharks attack and how to survive &mdash; and avoid &mdash; them