Why Maui has the highest rate of shark attacks is known to scientists
A recent study found that there’s a reason why Maui has more shark attacks than any other Hawaiian island: Tiger sharks from far and wide are drawn to the vast, protected shallow ocean shelf.
Furthermore, the study indicated that several of the most well-liked beaches and seaside leisure areas are among the waterways that tiger sharks frequent in the vicinity of Maui.
According to the study, this combination of circumstances suggests why there are more shark bites on Maui. However, it is not completely impossible for researchers to rule out the possibility that an increase in water recreational activities on Maui is the main reason for the current spike in shark attacks.
MAUI’S THE PLACE TO BE
Because of Maui’s extensive protected ocean shelf, which provides a perfect environment for mating and pupping and is home to a diverse range of tiger shark prey, more tiger sharks come to the island. Acoustic monitoring revealed far more sharks around Maui than Oahu.
At a press conference on Thursday, University of Hawaii researcher Carl Meyer stated, “Over the past 20 years, Maui has had almost double the number of shark bites of any other island, even though all of the larger islands have thousands of people going into the ocean every day.”
For as long as two years, Meyer’s study team at the UH Institute of Marine Biology tracked the movements of 41 tiger sharks across Maui and Oahu using a mix of satellite and acoustic tracking.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources ordered the $186,00 research in response to an increase in shark attacks off the coast of Maui in 2012 and 2013.
The ocean surrounding Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Kahoolawe offers more preferred tiger shark habitat than all of the other main Hawaiian Islands combined, according to Meyer, the study’s chief investigator.
According to him, a large range of tiger shark prey may be found in the extensive shelf area of reef environment surrounding Maui, which stretches offshore to depths of 600 feet. Additionally, the shelf area is perfect for tiger shark pupping and mating.
Individual sharks visit Maui more frequently than they do the other islands, according to the study’s tracking data: roughly 2.5 times per month vs 1.5 times per month for Oahu and roughly once every two months for Kauai and Hawaii island.
Also, the study’s acoustic tracking revealed that far more sharks were seen each day in Maui seas than in Oahu waters. Over 80% of the time, tiger sharks were found off the southwest coast of Maui.
That means that these big tiger sharks are present at ocean recreation areas almost every day, according to Meyer. “But it’s crucial to keep in mind that, despite the fact that these animals are present almost every day and thousands of people swim in the ocean near Maui, shark attacks are still extremely uncommon occurrences.”
According to the statistics, tiger sharks often steer clear of human contact, he said.
Additionally, the study discovered that tiger sharks frequent near-shore waters day and night, indicating that there is no higher risk of being attacked at dusk or at night.
According to Meyer, the pattern of shark bites corresponds with human behavior, with 70% of bites happening between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
According to Meyer, while Oahu-tagged sharks visited Maui waters in greater numbers during the peak mating season during the core winter months, Maui-tagged sharks did not visit Oahu. According to earlier research, tiger sharks come to Maui for spawning from even the furthest reaches of the island chain.
Shark nets, real-time monitoring warning systems, and shark culling are examples of methods that Meyer dismissed as needless and ineffective. He said that prior shark hunts in Hawaii had little effect on reducing shark attacks and had just served to attract new sharks.
Administrator of the DLNR’s Division of Aquatic Resources Bruce Anderson stated that the study was commissioned by the department for public safety at a time when not much was understood about the reasons for the sharks’ behavior.
“The outcomes validate the course we’ve been following for a considerable amount of time,” Anderson stated. Rather than eliminating sharks, we have been advocating for preventive approaches.
He stated that swimming in groups, staying near the coast, and avoiding the water in murky conditions are all examples of preventive actions.
According to Anderson, the rise in shark bites over the past 20 years is partly due to shifting oceanic patterns. According to him, more individuals are swimming offshore, stand-up paddling, kayaking, and blue-water spearfishing.
Anderson stated, “Swimming in the ocean is essentially swimming in a wilderness-type environment.” Sharks inhabit this ecosystem. We must acknowledge their existence and take preventative measures to keep ourselves safe from the inevitable contacts that will occasionally arise.
Meyer said it’s still unknown why there was an increase in shark attacks near Maui in 2012–14. He said that despite the one unprovoked shark attack that occurred off the coast of Maui in 2015, neither shark behavior nor human behavior changed.
He claimed that these surges are probably the result of chance because they happen all around the world.
Hawaii has experienced two to three shark attacks annually on average since the 1980s. Over the previous twenty years, the yearly average increased to three to four shark attacks.(source)