Sharks Found Around the Hawaiian Islands and Why They Attack
The Hawaiian word for shark is Mano. There are about 40 species of sharks in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands of which eight of them are commonly seen near shore. The most frequently encountered Hawaiian reef sharks are the White Tipped Reef Shark, Scalloped Hammerhead Shark, Tiger Shark, Galapagos Shark, Gray Reef Shark, and the Sandbar Shark. The Tiger Shark and the Galapagos Shark are the most aggressive of the Hawaiian reef sharks. The others are potentially dangerous but are known more to attack humans only when they are provoked. Sharks typically hunt for fish, turtles, dolphins and seals during the low light times of dusk and dawn. Sharks can detect the faint electrical fields given off by all living organisms. As they approach, receptors on the sharks’ snouts allow them to locate their prey without seeing it.

In the 172 years that shark attacks have been tracked in Hawaii , from 1828 to 2000, there have only been 98 unprovoked shark attacks in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands, of which 20 resulted in death. The last death from an unprovoked shark attack in Hawaii was in 1992 off the coast of Oahu. According to the International Shark Attack File in 2000 there were 90 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide with only 2 in Hawaii and 34 in Florida. When unprovoked shark attacks happen in Hawaii surfers and boogie boarders are those most commonly bitten due to cases of mistaken identity. From the sharks’ view near the ocean floor looking up towards the ocean surface a surfer laying on their surfboard with arms paddling looks like a seal swimming, and a boogie boarder lying on their board with their legs kicking and arms paddling looks like turtle. Commonly, once sharks bite into humans and find out it is not the turtle, seal, or fish they were expecting they let go and go away. To prevent their own injury sharks will also attack quickly and retreat until their prey is motionless. When frequent shark attacks occur in one specific area, it is typically due to a lack of natural food supply for the sharks caused either by over fishing or rapid changes in the marine environment. You have a better chance at winning the lottery than getting bitten by a shark, but no matter where in the world you are if a shark attacks your best defense is to punch the shark in its snout, gills, and eyes until it lets go. Once released from the shark apply pressure to the wounds as soon as possible to control the bleeding and have someone call 911 immediately to get medical assistance.