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Map: Shark Attacks in California Since 1851
We stumbled across this map that seems pretty terrifying when you initially look at it: it's full of all the spots where sharks attacked humans in California.
It becomes a little less terrifying when you note that the map attempts to record as many incidents as possible going all the way back to 1851. All the red points noted are fatalities, and the blue circles indicate non-fatal attacks. It was compiled by the Santa Cruz Sentinel and it's based on data from a website for shark attack survivors (h/t Reddit LA).
We've heard that although sharks are common in our seas, shark attacks are rare (and fatal ones are rarer still) and this map seems to bear that out. There are only two fatal shark attacks just off the coast of mainland Los Angeles. Two kayakers died in 1989, and one man who had gone out on a boat was killed in a shark attack in 1952.
Related:
Lifeguards Advise Beachgoers of Great White Sharks
Shark Kills Body Surfer in Santa Barbara County
Surfer Bitten By Shark in Pismo Beach, Advisory Issued
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This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
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