The La Nina phenomenon is believed to be behind the arrival of white sharks to inhabited beaches in search of prey, leading to an increase in attacks.
Taronga Conservation Society Australia’s wildlife conservation expert Dr Phoebe Meagher said the death toll from shark attacks recorded in 2020 was well above the average of 1.02 cases per year over the course of of the past 50 years.
There have been 17 shark attacks so far in 2020, the same number as in 2019 and one less than in 2018.
Marine biologist who studies shark neuroscience, Dr Blake Chapman, says understanding shark behavior during an attack is important in determining the cause. She says repeated bites indicate sharks treat humans like prey.
“Great white sharks will usually bite once and then leave if not out of curiosity and not in their hunting grounds. However, in attackers this year, sharks often swim and bite. Kills multiple times. abnormal behavior, more blood and the likelihood of death is also higher, ”said Dr. Blake Chapman.
The expert also noted that sometimes some deaths are caused by the bite of the leg, groin or near the abdomen. These injuries often cause more blood loss than bites from arteries or other organs.
Various regulatory agencies in Austrakua are investigating the shark attacks, but it is difficult to know the exact cause.
Gold Coast Beach, Australia, where a recent shark attack died. (Photo: ABC).
Experts have speculated that the La Nina phenomenon, combined with colder ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, affects shark hunting habits.
Migration of salmon herds and increased precipitation reducing the salinity of seawater may have attracted sharks to inhabited waters.
“Sharks are just trying to find where their prey is,” said Robert Harcourt, marine zoologist and professor of shark behavior at Macquarie University.
