New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County, Florida, has lots of biodiversity, thanks in a large part to the Indian River Lagoon which is located here. “With over 2,200 animal species, the lagoon serves as a nursery or “preschool” for many organisms,” says the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau on its website.
Among those animals are lots of sharks, including blacktip and spinner sharks. Many people might be worried by the idea of lots of sharks being in the water but it’s actually a good thing because it indicates a healthy ocean. “Their presence means our coastal waters are thriving, full of fish, and clean enough to support a balanced marine environment,” they say.
Each year, experts collate the number of shark bite incidents around the world – and Volusia County often comes out on top.
The country with the most unprovoked bites in 2025 was the United States with 38 percent of all global incidents reported in the country (followed closely by Australia, which had 21). Of all the U.S. states, Florida topped the list (again) with 11 bites in total.
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The data drills down even further, pinpointing the county which had the most incidents. “Volusia County, often referred to as the shark bite capital of the world, accounted for more than half of Florida’s bites,” says Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack Files in a press release announcing 2025’s stats. “The county recorded six bites in 2025, below its recent 10-year average of nine and well under the recent spike of 17 bites in 2021.”
The county has recorded more than 300 shark bites since 1882.
There are several things that make shark bites more likely here: lots of baitfish draw in the sharks, murky waters make it more likely a shark will mistake a human for something they want to investigate, and lots of people – including many surfers – in the water increase the chances of a human-shark interaction.
The New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau isn’t worried by the nickname of “shark bite capital”, saying it attracts visitors to the region. “Despite the headlines, New Smyrna Beach remains one of the most popular surf spots in Florida,” they write on their website. “The surf culture is strong, and beachgoers return year after year because they know the risk is minimal.”
Given how many people use the water here, there were just six bites in the entire year of 2025. The visitors bureau adds that incidents are not usually critical, saying: “no one has ever been seriously injured or killed by a shark here. Most bites are minor and happen when surfers accidentally bump into small sharks in murky water.”
Although people worry about the risk of sharks when swimming off the coast – particularly in known ‘sharky’ areas – the chances of getting bitten wherever you are in the world are exceptionally low. In 2025, there were only 65 unprovoked bites around the world.
“Drowning and being struck by lightning are far more common,” says the International Shark Attack Files. “According to the World Health Organization, drowning is the third leading cause of death from unintentional injury worldwide.”
In the U.S.A, there are more than 4,000 fatalities from drowning each year and, around the world, lightning kills 24,000 people annually, they say.
Of course, it’s not worth taking chances and there are things you can do to minimise your risk. Following these protocols is even more sensible in an area like Volusia County, which is known for its human-shark interactions.
The International Shark Attack File recommends protecting yourself from a potential incident by “swimming with other people nearby, avoiding swimming at dawn and dusk and staying away from where people are fishing.” They also advise people to avoid baited shark encounters, saying: “Feeding sharks may train them to link human activity with food, potentially increasing the risk of negative encounters.”
It’s also important to remember that we need sharks because they keep the ocean healthy. “Without them, the marine ecosystem would be threatened, and the food chain would become dangerously unbalanced,” says the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau. “If sharks were to disappear from the world’s oceans, the consequences would be catastrophic.”
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Top image: Tetraminoe
