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With recent shark problems in the northeast many people are wondering what the chances of a shark attack in New Hampshire is. The chances of a shark attack are extremely small, according to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File the chances of anyone being attacked by a shark is one in 11.5 million. 

George Burgess, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research there are about 65 shark attacks world wide a year.  Only four of these are fatalities. Burgess believes that the chances of being killed by a shark are very slim. “Your odds as an individual or being attacked and dying in the mouth of a shark in any given year are as close to zero as you can get.”

This is even more unlikely the farther north you go especially once you get into New England.  According to Burgess it is very rare for shark attacks to occur in New England, which is why the press will make a bigger deal in New England. “Often in New England, sharks are uncommon, so the press up there is relatively unaccustomed to sharks.”  In fact, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History, there wasn’t a single shark attack in New Hampshire between 1959 and 1994.

Furthermore, the kinds of sharks in New Hampshire are not very dangerous.  According to the Portsmouth fishing society, the most common shark to be found off the shore of New Hampshire is the Blue Shark.  The blue shark is ranked as the tenth most dangerous shark by National Geographic, however almost all of their attacks were in deep water, and there have only ever been 13 attacks on humans with four resulting fatalities.

Shark attacks are increasing in America, however it doesn’t appear that that trend is spreading into New Hampshire or New England, as there hasn’t been a fatal shark attack in New England since 1936 according to the Newbury News.  So don’t fear the water this summer, as it appears extremely unlikely that a shark attack could occur in New Hampshire, or anywhere in New England for that matter.