- Passengers capture moment cruise ship is pummeled by 30-foot waves
- High schoolers with same last name set record straight with sarcastic yearbook message
- Michigan father dives into icy lake to save son, both die
- Report: Doctors perform procedure on wrong baby
- Man may have been killed by meteorite, Indian official says
Unprovoked sharks have bitten humans 98 times globally last year, according to the International Shark Attack File's report Monday.
USA today reported that it is the highest number on record since such data was logged 57 years ago.
The previous high was 88, recorded in 2000.
But while the attack rate was higher last year, the mortality rate was about half of what it was in 2000. Just 6 deaths were recorded last year, none of which were in the continental U.S.
Two deaths were recorded off the island of Reunion, and then single incidents in Australia, New Caledonia, Hawaii and Egypt.
Not surprisingly, surfers and others participating in watersports made up nearly 50 percent of 2015's shark attacks. Swimmers and waders made up 42 percent and snorkelers made up 9 percent.
No attacks on SCUBA divers were reported in 2015.
Florida had the most unprovoked attacks last year in the U.S., making up 51 percent of the total. The state recorded 30 bites, which is less than the record high of 37 in 2000.
The International Shark Attack File attributes the increase in bites simply on the fact that more people are in the water.
"The number of shark-human interactions occurring in a given year is directly correlated with the amount of time humans spend in the sea," the report notes.
About the Author
