What are the chances of a shark attack on the Oregon Coast?

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Several notable shark attacks occurred across the U.S. this month, drawing widespread media attention.

A notable surfer, lifeguard and actor died on the North Shore of Oahu on Sunday after suffering multiple shark bites, Hawaiian officials said. Three people were also injured in two separate shark attacks that occurred on Florida’s Gulf Coast on June 7, causing local officials to temporarily close several beaches in the area.

Despite the recent attacks, Oregon State University shark expert Taylor Chapple told KOIN 6 News that the odds of a shark attack occurring in Oregon, or anywhere else on the West Coast, are very low. According to a study co-authored by Chapple in 2015, while records of shark attacks increased in California between 1950 and 2013, the actual risk of shark attacks plummeted.

“Risk has gone down by approximately 90% over the last 60 years,” Chapple said. “So, people should be much more worried about getting to the beach, than sharks at the beach.”

The sharp decline in shark attack risk may be related to undetected, long-term declines in shark populations or changes in the behavior and spatial distribution of sharks and people, the study states. Safety precautions are the best way to improve public safety and conserve endangered marine predators, the study recommends.

“Promoting safer behaviors among human ocean users could prove orders of magnitude more effective than [killing sharks],” the study reads.

Oregon’s only known fatal shark attack happened in 1975, The Oregonian reports. The victim of the attack was 62-year-old Grace Conger. The Shark Research Institute has recorded 30 shark attacks in Oregon since 1974. Oregon's most recent shark attack occurred near Seaside in December of 2020, when a surfer was bitten on the leg.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission offers the following tips for avoiding a shark attack:

• Always stay in groups since sharks are more likely to bite a solitary individual.
• Do not wander too far from shore, this isolates an individual and places him or her far away from assistance.
• Avoid being in the water during darkness or twilight hours when sharks are most active.
• Do not enter the water if bleeding from an open wound or if menstruating, a shark's ability to smell blood is acute.
• Wearing shiny jewelry is discouraged. When light reflects off shiny jewelry, it resembles the sheen of fish scales.
• Avoid waters with known discharges or sewage and waters used for any type of fishing
• While there are myths and anecdotes about dolphins saving humans from shark bites, the presence of dolphins does not indicate the absence of sharks, both often eat the same foods.
• Use extra caution when waters are murky.
• Remember that sharks see contrast particularly well. Uneven tans and bright-colored clothing may draw a shark's attention.
• Refrain from excess splashing, as this may draw a shark's attention.
• Do not allow pets in the water: their erratic movements may draw a shark’s attention.
• Be careful when occupying the area between sandbars or near steep drop-offs, these are favorite hangouts for sharks.
• Swim only in areas tended by lifeguards.
• Do not enter the water if sharks are known to be present and get out of the water if sharks are sighted.
• Never harass a shark!