What are the world’s most dangerous sharks?

SHARKS are one of the most terrifying creatures on Earth – but do they really live up to their fearsome reputations.

The odds of being attacked by a shark are very slim, with more people being killed by cows than the marine predators. But which species is the most deadly and how should you react if you encounter one?

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What are the most dangerous sharks?

The  created a list of the shark species that have attacked humans the most, dating back to 1580.

Tiger Shark

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The list found that tiger sharks had caused 31 deaths over the years, making them the second deadliest.

The are a curious and aggressive so will become inquisitive if they see you swimming.

There are different species of tiger sharks with the sand tiger sharks, responsible for 29 attacks on humans, although none have been fatal as the species is generally calm.

Shortfin Mako

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These smaller sharks are incredibly fast compared to other sharks.

Their speed can reach up to 20mph, however they are considered at risk of extinction.

Shortfin Makos are popular prey for shark fin soup so they are victims of overfishing.

Oceanic Whitetip

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Famed for being the first to the feeding frenzy when a ship goes down, these giants are unpredictable and brave.

They prefer to swim in warmer waters and are quite slow swimmers.

Some reach 4 metres long and weigh around 170kg.

Bull Shark

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Although great white sharks have a bad reputation for human attacks, many experts actually consider bull sharks to be the most dangerous species as whole.

Researchers believe the numbers of bull shark attacks is higher than recorded due to people misidentifying them in the heat of the moment.

Many bull sharks dwell in shallow coastal waters and have little tolerance for being disturbed.

The Great White

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The White Shark, commonly known as a Great White is infamous for attacks on humans with over 80 fatal attacks to their name.

They are the face of dangerous sharks, mainly due to the film Jaws.

It has been recorded that these deep sea behemoths have made 314 unprovoked attacks on humans.

This icon of the sea, like many other shark species is at risk of overfishing.

How many shark attacks are there on humans each year?

Around 75 shark attacks occur each year, with a high in recent times of 83 in 2012 across the world.

The fearsome creatures struck a staggering 73 times in just nine months around the world in 2015, making it one of the bloodiest years yet.

The deadliest stretch of coastline is America’s East Coast where a terrifying 33 maulings were carried out by the bloodthirsty predators during that year.

The chances of an attack, however, are still extremely slim.

The likelihood of dying from flu is 1 in 63 chance and the chance dying from a shark being 1 in 3,700,000.

In total there have been 489 fatal shark attacks since 1958.

Where are the most dangerous spots for shark attacks?

Australia has become the most dangerous place for shark attacks with six attacks in the first few weeks of 2022.

A British tourist lost his life while swimming near Sydney due to a shark attack.

While shark attacks in Europe are extremely rare, the predators are far more common than thought.

The majority of UK incidents are cases of fishermen getting bitten while trying to unhook a shark or fishermen getting bitten on the boot by a shark at the bottom of a boat etc.

Some sharks however are gentle and do not harm humans unless provoked so many places offer experiences where you can swim with sharks in the wild.

These tend to be the giant whale shark, which is peaceful and docile.

Shark hotspots may shift over time due to climate change and overfishing in certain areas.

Some species, like the Shortfin Mako are hunted for soup while others, and their cousins the rays, are captured for the squalene they produce, which is used in some makeup products and food.

How can I survive a shark attack?

According to Ph.D student David Shiffman, from the University of Miami’s Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, you should go for the shark’s eyes and avoid the nose.

He told the : “Have you ever tried punching underwater? It doesn’t work very well.

“As with all animal attacks, the best advice is to go for the eye.

“If you poke something in the eye, it will stop what it is doing.”

The method worked for surfer Scott Stephens, who managed to survive a shark attack.

“I felt one really violent shake as the shark moved its head side to side, like a dog with a toy,” he said in .

“I was able to torque my body and punch it behind its right eye. It immediately let me go and swam down and toward shore.”