Florida's so-called 'shark bite capital of the world' reports 6th attack this year

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - Some swimmers are on high alert after another shark bite in Volusia County. That's the 6th bite in the county this year and the third in the month of July. 

Experts say we're entering the peak season for shark bites. According to Florida’s Shark Attack File, August and September are the two months historically known for the most shark attacks and the vast majority of them happen on the coast of Volusia County. 

On Monday, a 33-year-old Orlando man was swimming in waist-deep water in the afternoon when a shark bit his foot. He was taken to the hospital with a non-life threatening injury. 

Earlier this month, a surfer from Miami was bitten on the foot by a 6-foot shark in New Smyrna Beach. 

Gavin Naylor, director for the Florida Program for Shark Research, says there are normally 25 attacks a year in Florida and we are approaching peak season. 

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"Usually there are no bites until May or June and then a whole flurry of bites and July and August is steady. Then we get a pulse of bites in late September and Pctober when black tip sharks move up the coast."

He says while the recent attacks may be alarming, he doesn’t think there are more shark bites happening. In fact, he says this might be a below average year for shark bites. 

Beach rescue says visitors should make sure to swim near a lifeguard and also advises to not swim alone.

Volusia County is the so-called shark bite capital of the world. According to WUSF, last year Volusia’s 17 shark bites represented 15% of the global total.