The 15 best beaches in Florida, according to sharks

New Smyrna Beach
It’s the crème de la crème in their dark beady eyes, leading it to have the nickname “the shark capital of the world.” According to National Geographic, if you’ve swum in these waters, you’ve probably been 10 feet from a shark, which is probably why there’s been 181 recorded attacks since 1902, as reported by Shark Attack Data.
Photo via jess_myatt/Instagram

Daytona Beach
While it’s easy to think that most attacks occur deep in the ocean, that isn’t always the case. Sharks have been known to bite swimmers in waist-deep and even shallow water here. Back in January 2015, WESH reported a story in which a boy was bitten in chest-deep water, which isn’t too deep, given the fact that he was only 10 at the time.
Photo via kimmy83/Instagram

Cocoa Beach
A study from the Shark Research Committee found that 70% of shark attacks from 2000 to 2011 were against surfers. While the percent isn’t as high here, surfer-shark encounters are still rather significant. Said attacks made up about 45% of the reported incidents, says Shark Attack Data.
Photo via Visionary Supervillain/Instagram

Ormond Beach
You’re gonna need a bigger boat to get through these waters; this beach made the news two years ago when Katharine, a 14-foot great white, was coasting along the shore lines, as reported by WESH. She didn’t bite anyone, but she served as a reminder that the Volusia County inlet attracts just about anyone… or anything.
Photo via Jason and Kris Carter/Flickr

Sebastian Inlet
Great whites: Thanks to Jaws, they’re probably the most known and most feared of all shark species, and a close 2014 encounter certainly won’t clear their name. A man was diving and spearheading in the inlet when suddenly he was hit by a great white, says the Sun Sentinel. The creature was relentless, not leaving the man’s side until he was hit in return multiple times.
Photo via civsix/Flickr

Jupiter Beach
Snowbirds aren’t the only group of beings that seasonally make it down to Florida; blacktip sharks do too. CNN posted a story in early 2016 about thousands of the species being literally right along the coastline during their migratory adventure. This annual migration happens in the winter months, so maybe it’s best to avoid the area if you’re fearful of dorsal fins.
Photo via Bob B. Brown/Flickr

Pensacola Beach
Stop... Hammer time! A video went viral in the summer of 2015 showing a hammerhead shark not holding back with its attack against a man’s boat motor. An interview with WGNO later revealed that the assailant was believed to be about 10-feet long. Hammerhead sightings seem to be a common thing at Pensacola Beach, with a quick Google search pulling up multiple videos throughout the years.
Photo via austiiinnnnn/Instagram

Jensen Beach
Surprisingly enough, the majority of the victims at Jensen Beach haven’t been surfers. Swimmers seem to be the main target here, according to reports dating back to 1902, as collected by Shark Attack Data. 66.6% of these bloody incidents have been against surfers. Guess the sharks are all about the splashing over here. If it’s any comfort, there hasn’t been a fatal attack in at least a century.
Photo via KRoark/Flickr

Playalinda Beach
All kinds of activities attract sea critters, even the less common practices apparently. Such was the case when a 19-year-old was lightly bit in the middle of his kiteboardng fun, reported Shark Attack Monitor back in 2012. The boarder was able to get away from the scene alive but not without noticing a fin nearby, needing to visit the hospital for stitches and racking up a killer story.
Photo via dinadewgong/Instagram

Panama City Beach
Panama City has had its fair share of fatal shark attacks, according to Shark Attack Data, but the most recent one happened all the way back in 1988. The new century finned activities are way more calmer, with the craziest thing being what various news outlets called a “feeding frenzy” in November 2015. For about an hour, hundreds of sharks came close to the shore to rip the local fish to shreds, as reported by WHNT.
Photo via ashyb2/Instagram

Melbourne Beach
Sharks ignored Melbourne Beach in 2015, but previous years have been consistent with attacks since 2012: about two a year, give or take, according to information listed by Shark Attack Data. Although surfing is what unsurprisingly attracts the most sharks, body boarding is pretty up there on the list too.
Photo via justinanewton/Flickr

Hutchinson Island
2007 was a busy year for the sharks in the area, according to Shark Attack Data, with there being three attacks, more than any other year at Hutchinson Island. Since 2008, however, there’s only been one reported attack, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been sightings; quite a few were spotted near the shore in the summer of 2015, reported WPBF.
Photo via Michael Blow/Flickr

Juno Beach
Shark sightings usually lead to human panic and, occasionally, a good amount of blood, but it can be confusing too. In February 2015, a hammerhead was found buried in the sands of Juno Beach, reported WPFG, but surprisingly enough, this wasn’t the first time it’s happened. Hey, at least this one won’t bite ya.
Photo via Corn Farmer/Flickr

Ponce de Leon Inlet
Sharks of the blacktip and spinner variety populate the area, feeding in a frenzied manner, says the Chicago Tribune; they speed through groups of fish as their mouths rapidly chomp down on anything and everything in their way, thus explaining a lot of the bites they’ve inflicted.
Photo via walterjamalofficial/Instagram

Jacksonville Beach
Last year was a busy year for sharks in Jacksonville Beach. In the second half of the year, three people were bitten, with only one of these attacks being against a surfer, says News 4 Jax. The other two were in waist-deep and 10-foot water. Guess the sharks just want to mix it up a bit.
Photo via Jon Dawson/Flickr