MIAMI, Feb. 15 -- Sharks and humans both fled the coast as hurricanes battered Florida last year, causing a dramatic drop in shark attacks in the state that usually has a third of the world's annual total, scientists said Tuesday.
Shark attacks occur most often in North American waters, and Florida normally has the most because of its long coastlines, dense population and year-round swimming weather.
But Florida had 12 shark attacks last year, compared with 30 a year earlier and an average of 33.5 in the previous four years, the Florida Museum of Natural History reported.
With the drop in Florida, the number of shark attacks in U.S. waters fell to 30 last year, down from 41 a year earlier. It was the lowest number in a decade that peaked with 52 attacks in 2000.
Researchers attributed the drop in Florida to the unusually vicious hurricane season that kept people away from the coasts for long periods.
