Shark Attacks In NJ: How Common Are They Off The Shore?

NEW JERSEY — Galeophobia — the fear of sharks — is real. But the chances you’ll be attacked by a shark in New Jersey, or most other coastal states, are almost nil.

Shark attacks do happen. They’re among the calculated risks of taking a dip in the ocean, which is synonymous with summer in coastal states. But these creatures don't attack humans often, and when they do, the resulting injuries are hardly ever fatal.

FloridaPanhandle.com used news reports to develop its interactive shark attack map. To be clear, the company is in the business of booking vacation rentals in the Florida Panhandle and by, extension, chasing away travelers’ fears about being attacked by sharks while kayaking, snorkeling or just enjoying the surf — whether his company or a rival business arranged the experience, founder David Angotti told Patch.

In New Jersey, four shark attacks have been recorded since 1962, according to the company’s interactive map and Patch reporting. None of them were fatal.

The most recent case of a shark injuring someone was May 21 off the Jersey Shore at Stone Harbor, when a Pennsylvania teen was bitten by a shark. First-time surfer Maggie Drozdowski told NBC10 Philadelphia she “felt something pressing.”

“It’s like his teeth were around my foot,” she told reporters.

“I got out as fast as I could,” Drozdowski, whose wound was closed with six stitches, told the TV station. “I thought it was a crab. I was shaking my foot as hard as I could.”

Before that, data shows there had not been a shark attack since 2013 in Bay Head. There was also a shark attack in 2011 in Egg Harbor, and one incident at Adventure Aquarium in 2009 where a shark bit a volunteer diver.

Where are the most shark attacks reported?

Worldwide, there have been about 1,300 shark attacks since 1962 — more than half of them off U.S. coasts. In the United States, there have been 720 attacks with a fatality rate of 6 percent. Australia had the second-highest rate with far fewer attacks at 261, but the fatality rate is much higher at 23 percent.

Florida has the most shark attacks in the United States, according to the data, and more occur at New Smyrna Beach than at any other location in the Sunshine State. The vacation rental company doesn’t theorize about the reason, but Mendez rattled off a string of possible reasons, including the state’s popularity as a vacation destination, legal spearfishing or purposely swimming with aggressive sharks.

“People like to mess around with animals,” Brittany Mendez, a marketing specialist for floridapanhandle.com, told Patch.

Mapping the history of shark attacks underscores the importance of maintaining a healthy respect for sharks but also recognizing the ocean is, after all, sharks’ home, and not ours, Mendez said.

“It’s super important for people to know it doesn’t happen often,” she said. “It’s just a stigma.”

Sharks gained a nasty reputation in box office blockbusters such as “Jaws” and others casting the apex predators as villains. With their serrated, dagger-like teeth, they do look menacing — and that image alone can fuel galeophobia.

Because of that, shark attacks make headlines when they happen.

Recent shark attack reports

So far in 2023, at least three people have been bitten by sharks in the United States according to Patch’s reporting. All recent incidents may not be reflected in the data, which has been refined since the original map in 2021 to exclude reports later determined to be unsubstantiated, Mendez said.

In separate incidents earlier this month two people were injured in Florida when they were bitten while spearfishing. In the first incident, a 22-year-old man was airlifted to a Miami hospital after a shark bit his leg in early May.

In the second incident on May 18, 20-year-old Kevin Blanco recalled to South Florida NBC affiliate WTVJ the “pressure and force” with which the shark hit his thigh. He felt as if he’d been slammed by a pickup truck as he “felt the pressure slowly closing on my leg.”

The third known attack was the previously-referenced one in Stone Harbor.

In 94 percent of cases, shark attacks are provoked, according to the data. Worldwide, only about 100 unprovoked shark attacks are reported in an average year.

Odds of shark attacks are low

Statistically speaking, the chances humans will be attacked by sharks are practically nonexistent. In fact, according to National Geographic, the chances of dying in a fall are about 1 in 218, but 1 in 3.7 million of being killed by a shark. And worldwide, there are about 10 deaths a year attributed to shark attacks, compared to 150 deaths caused by falling coconuts.

And even in the rare instances when a shark does bite, survival rates are about 90 percent.

The vacation rental company’s interactive global map visually depicts when and where each of the approximately 1,300 attacks occurred, along with other interesting facts.

The white fins on the map represent attacks that were survived, and the red fins represent fatal attacks. Each fin can be clicked to view detailed information about the attack and shark species.

Finally, the interactive data section allows users to quickly select custom or pre-filled date ranges and surface interesting data including the most dangerous sharks, where the attacks occurred, and the worst time of day for the attacks.

Patch’s Beth Dalbey contributed to this report.