Sharks often attack people when the moon is new

A recent study shows that the number of shark attacks increased dramatically during the new moon, on Sundays and in shallow waters.

A white shark.Photos: scrapetv.com.

AFP said, scientists at the University of Florida in the US analyzed statistics on the number of shark attacks on people over 50 years in Volusia county, Florida. Volusia County is one of the places with the highest number of shark attacks in the world.

Between 1996 and 2008, one in five sharks hit people around the world, one in central Florida.

Experts want to know why, where and when sharks attack people often happen. They look at the conditions that are easy to provoke shark attacks on many white sand beaches - where strong waves attract the attention of both surfers and sharks. Marine predators often go to waters with strong waves to hunt.

"Humans, sharks and environmental factors work together to create favorable conditions for shark attack ," said George Burgess, an expert at the University of Florida.

Burgess stressed that the most frequent attacks occurred during the monthly moon cycle.

"Perhaps the moon cycles affect fish movement and reproduction, the shark's food source," Burgess said.

August is the time when the number of shark attacks occurred most because a large number of people often went to the sea in the northern hemisphere, especially on Sundays.

'Sharks are not animals that like to hunt on weekends. Instead, our entertainment habits make them meet the most people on Sundays and the least people on Wednesdays , "Burgess said.

Movements such as banging on the water and kicking the feet of humans attract the attention of sharks. They always rush to the body parts of the surfer because it is a prey. But experts also claim that contrary to many people's thoughts, most shark attacks on the Florida coast are not deadly. 90% of attacks only lead to minor wounds.