U.S. led the world in shark attacks last year

The U.S. led the world again in the number of shark attacks last year, according to a University of Florida report released this week.

Worldwide, 79 attacks occurred in 2010 -- the highest number since 2000 (80) -- with 36 reported in the United States. Australia was second with 14, then South Africa with eight and Vietnam and Egypt with six each.

While Florida led the nation with 13 reported attacks, this total was significantly lower than the state's yearly average of 23 over the past decade.

"Florida had its lowest total since 2004, which was 12," said George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File at the university. Florida typically has the highest number of attacks worldwide, but 2010 marked the state’s fourth straight year of decline, Burgess said. "Maybe it’s a reflection of the downturn in the economy and the number of tourists coming to Florida, or the amount of money native Floridians can spend taking holidays and going to the beach."

Of those attacks in the U.S. outside of Florida, five were in North Carolina, with four each in California, Hawaii and South Carolina. There were single attacks in Georgia, Maine, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

Surfers were the victims of slightly more than half of the incidents reported worldwide in 2010, nearly 51% of the cases. An economic downturn will usually influence tourists but not necessarily surfers, whose sport is relatively low-cost, Burgess said.

Swimmers and waders were the second-largest group affected, accounting for nearly 38% of the shark attacks internationally.

U.S. registers sharp drop in shark attacks last year

Surfers and other ocean-sport enthusiasts might find solace in the news that shark attacks in the United States declined in 2009, according to a University of Florida report released Monday.

"The big story is that the number of attacks in the United States dropped dramatically from 41 in 2008 to 28 in 2009," said George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File at the university. "Considering there were 50 attacks in 2007, we may have a bit of a trend, but only time will tell."

One possibility for the decline of attacks in U.S. coastal waters may be that fewer people visited the shore due to the recession.

"Florida's population hasn't gone down, so I suppose the economy could have had an effect on how many times people can afford to put gas in their cars and go to the beach," added Burgess.

Worldwide is a different story, however, with attacks edging up ever so slightly, from 60 in 2008 to 61 in 2009.

"More than half the attacks -- 33 out of 61 -- were surfers and this continues a trend that we've been seeing for quite awhile," said Burgess.

Hawaii is paradise, but only for the few who are unaffected by the economy

If you're like a lot of people, you've canceled or shortened your annual trip to Hawaii because you're worried about finances in what is looking more and more like a great depression.

As for Hawaii, one of the world's premier destinations for outdoors enthusiasts, the term "paradise" no longer applies to many of its residents. The jobless rate, in part because of a devastated tourist sector, reached a 10-year high at 5.5% in 2008, according to figures released this week.

And that figure is expected to soar higher in 2009.

A geographical breakdown:

-- Honolulu: 4.2%

-- Molokai: 11.6%

-- Maui: 6.5%

-- Hawaii: 7.1%

-- Kauai: 7.7%

-- Lanai: 6.2%

For the sake of comparison, Michigan is the state with the the highest jobless rate at 10.6%. California, which is closest to Hawaii in terms of air travel, ranks fourth at 9.3%.

The weather may indeed be beautiful, and we wish we were there to help out. But ...

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Diamond Head looms over beachgoers on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times

A Christmas wish list, checked twice

A Christmas wish, brief version, minus materialistic desires:

-- May this latest storm further blanket our mountains, for the benefit of skiers, snowboarders and resort operators. More important, may it saturate a landscape that remains so parched that creeks remain dry and waterfalls without cascades. We need lots  of precipitation in 2008-09.

-- May the economy improve sooner rather than later. This would be our Christmas miracle. Being forced from a home onto the street is the worst possible kind of outdoors experience, and it should not be happening.

-- May children receive more gifts that introduce them to our spectacular natural resources--surfboards, skis, snowboards, hiking boots, binoculars, tents, fishing poles, etc.--and fewer computerized gadgets that contribute to obesity and create a disconnect between kids and their parents.

-- May more parents get out of the house with their children, to a lake shore, a state park, aboard a whale-watch boat or wherever there is sky and a vast surrounding. Most outdoor activities are inexpensive. Generate fond memories. Instill an appreciation for open spaces and critters that inhabit them. You won't regret it.

-- May Japan and other whaling nations stop the slaughter. Most if not all species of whales were on the brink of extinction at one point in our recent history. Haven't they been through enough?

-- May people lose the taste for shark fin soup. Unlike whales, sharks are being driven methodically to extinction because of the demand for this so-called delicacy and the brutal practice of "finning" live sharks. This is perilous for sharks and the environment. Is a bowl of soup worth all this?

-- May more people go green. May we see fewer Hummers and Suburbans and more hybrids. May the warming trend reverse (another miracle, please) and may the polar bears somehow survive the shrinking of their icy realm. People are trying, and that's a positive first step.

-- May at least some of your Chritmas wishes come true. Happy holidays, everyone. May better times prevail in 2009!

-- Pete Thomas

Photo credit: Greg Zook, Big Bear Lake Resort Assn.

Great white shark sighting reported off Malibu

There I was surfing and sorting through websites, sipping a soft drink, when I stumbled upon a rather unsettling item on the Shark Research Committee site run by the renowned Ralph S. Collier.

The latest entry, under the Pacific Coast Shark News 2008 heading, was a brief account involving a woman identified as Gina S., and her husband, who while strolling along the Malibu coast late Sunday afternoon witnessed an attack by what they claim was a large shark on a sea lion.

It was about 5 p.m., sunny and breezy, somewhere between Paradise Cove and Pepperdine University. They noticed three sea lions 30 to 40 yards offshore, and a small pod of dolphins nearby.

And there was a lone sea lion 30 yards south of the others. (See where this is going?)

The rest, as described by Gina:

"While looking at the lone sea lion suddenly the huge head of a great white shark surfaced next to the seal and took a large bite out of the animal. The shark was dark gray and at least 10-12 feet in length with a dorsal fin 12-16 inches high.

"The attack occurred just beyond the forming waves and lasted only a minute or less. Following the initial bite, there was a lot of splashing and then all went quiet. Sea gulls began diving on the attack site as if they were feeding. The shark submerged and neither the shark nor the bitten sea lion were observed again."

Collier urged those considering swimming or surfing in the area to exercise caution. That's always good advice. White sharks do utilize Southland coastal waters but generally leave the area, most scientists believe, when they reach the size where they start feeding on seals and sea lions instead of fish.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Adult great white shark photographed at Guadalupe Island, 160 miles west of Baja California, last October. Credit: Al Seib/Los Angeles Times