Shark Bites Rise In October
The state is recommending folks exercise more caution this month in Hawaii waters.
For centuries, says the DLNR’s Division of Aquatic Resources, traditional Hawaiian chants have warned about an increased risk of shark bites in the fall, “when the wiliwili tree blooms.”
University of Hawaii researchers also confirm the fall spike.
To that end, DAR Administrator Bruce Anderson said in a press release Monday, “October is the month with the greatest number of shark bites. We recommend ocean users exercise a little more caution this month especially, and also through the end of the year.”
Anderson added: “The chance of being bitten by a shark in Hawaiian waters is always extremely small, but does increase a bit during this time frame.”
From 1980 through 2015, DAR said there were 122 “unprovoked” shark bites in Hawaiian waters — and 26 of those (21 percent) occurred during the month of October.
Well-known victims include Michael Coots (1997) and Bethany Hamilton (2003), though thus far no October bite has been fatal.
The three bites last October, said Anderson, were all around Oahu, off different coasts of the island, and took place over a span of 20 days.
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