Shark sightings are on the rise along the East and West coasts as Americans flock to the beaches hoping to cool off.
In Hawaii, a tiger shark was recently spotted swimming about 30 yards from the island wall on Oahu’s south shore, prompting officials to post warning signs there, Island News reports.
The Honolulu Emergency Services Department described the 12-foot-long shark as “non-aggressive” after it was spotted around noon on June 27.
Tiger shark spotted off Hawaii coast, warning signs put up on beaches
Below, take a look at 12 unique facts about sharks, including population, size and more, as some U.S. states have seen a rise in shark sightings and warnings. Possible shark attack.
Sharks are considered to be marine fish with a long body, having a cartilaginous skeleton and a clearly visible dorsal fin. (iStock)
1. How many species of sharks exist?
There are more than 500 known species of sharks in oceans around the world, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
2. World shark population
Marine experts estimate that the total Shark Populations There are about a billion of them, according to AZ Animals, the online animal encyclopedia.
“This means there is one shark for every seven or eight humans,” the encyclopedia stated in July 2022. “They can be found in every ocean in the world and nearly every marine habitat, including the open ocean, the deep sea, coral reefs, shallow waters, and beneath Arctic ice.”
Going to the beach on the 4th of July? 7 shark prevention tips that could save your life
See more facts below about fish species, circumstances of attacks, how many teeth sharks have, and more. (iStock)
3. The largest living shark species
The whale shark is the largest living shark species. The maximum size of a whale shark is not known, but according to the World Wildlife Foundation, it can grow up to 65.6 feet long.
Whale sharks can be found in warm coastal waters around the world. (iStock)
According to a 2018 study by the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University (a Florida-based university) and the Maldives Whale Shark Research Program, the world’s largest whale shark measured 61.7 feet long.
4. The smallest living shark species
Dwarf lantern sharks are the smallest living creatures Shark Species According to the National Museum of Natural History, its average size is 8 inches.
The museum said the species is “smaller than a human hand” and has “only been observed a few times” in the northern part of South America at depths between 928 and 1,440 feet.
Ohio tourist bitten by shark while playing soccer in knee-deep water on Florida beach
5. How powerful are shark jaws?
Great white sharks have the strongest bite force in the world. According to a study published in the Journal of Zoology, a 2008 experiment led by Australian paleontologist Stephen Wroe found that a 7,328-pound great white shark could exert about 4,095 pounds of force with its powerful jaws.
Great white sharks can be found in nearly all coastal and offshore waters around the world. (iStock)
6. How many teeth does a shark have?
According to Delta Dental of Washington, a dental insurance provider, most shark species have five rows of teeth.
In a Shark Week blog post, Delta Dental of Washington reports that some shark species “can have more than 3,000 teeth at one time” and “they can lose up to 100 teeth per day.”
7. How many shark attacks have there been last year?
According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, there were a total of 69 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide in 2023.
Surfers and board sports participants accounted for 42% of incidents. Swimmers and watercraft Snorkellers/free divers contributed 13%.
Sharks spotted biting repeatedly off Texas beach
Warning signs for great white shark bite incidents were installed at Newcomb Hollow Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts in 2021. (Lindsay Nicholson/Universal Images Group via Getty Images | iStock)
8. How many shark attacks have there been in the last five years?
According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, the average number of unprovoked shark attacks on humans from 2018-2022 was 63.
9. What are the chances of dying in a shark attack?
According to National Geographic, the chance of being killed by a shark is one in 3.7 million.
For more lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews/lifestyle
10. How many sharks are killed each year?
The latest research suggests that as many as 100 million sharks may be killed each year, often targeted for their fins. This practice affects many different shark species, including whale shark, According to the World Wildlife Foundation.
Hundreds of species of sharks are known. (iStock)
11. How long have sharks existed?
Sharks have existed for 450 million years, according to the Natural History Museum in London.
The finned animal appeared in the fossil record before trees existed, and sharks have survived five mass extinctions, the museum said.
Click here to sign up for our Lifestyle newsletter
12. What was the largest shark species in the world?
The extinct megalodon is believed to be the largest shark species in world history. According to fossil specimen provider, Fossil Era, a jaw reconstruction done by American paleontologist Bashford Dean in 1909 estimated that megalodons could have been up to 98 feet long.
In this photo taken on March 16, 2011, children look at the jaws of a prehistoric shark, megalodon, at the Museum of Nature & Science in Dallas on March 16, 2011. The jaw, measuring 11 feet wide and nearly 9 feet long, contains 182 teeth collected from rivers in South Carolina. (AP Photo/Rich Matthews)
In recent years scientists have lowered Dean’s estimate to 68.6 feet. A complete skeleton has not yet been found, but Megalodon Teeth Frequently found throughout the world.
Click here to get the Fox News app
Megalodons became extinct 2.6 million years ago at the end of the Pliocene epoch, according to the Natural History Museum in London.
