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By Robyn White
Nature Reporter
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Tiger sharks have been spotted swimming extremely close to shores in Hawaii not long after a series of attacks in the state.
This species is common in the waters around Hawaii, but residents have recently said that there seems to be more of them than usual. Danny Lomas of Hawaii Adventure Diving told KHON-TV that three sharks were spotted in the same week swimming off the north shore of Oahu. He said there appear to be "higher numbers" of them and "higher amounts of curiosity."
The TV station reported that there have been increased sightings of the sharks across the whole state in the past three days, with many observed in the shallows.
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Several shark attacks have occurred in Hawaiian waters in recent months, with four in 2023 so far. In April, a man lost his right foot after he was bitten by a shark while surfing off the coast of Oahu.
It is believed a tiger shark was responsible for this incident, according to the state's Department of Land and Natural Resources. A tiger shark was also thought to be responsible for an attack that occurred in February. The person involved was not injured, but the shark bit the back of a paddleboard.
This past December, a snorkeler from Washington state was last seen swimming off Keawakapu Point on the island of Maui. She then disappeared without a trace. Officials have determined that she was killed by a shark, although the species has not been confirmed. Witnesses said at the time that they thought they saw a tiger shark near the area.
Despite these recent incidents and the increase in shark sightings, attacks remain very rare.
Hawaii has some of the highest shark attack numbers in the U.S., but there have been only 187 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks since records began in 1837, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File.
Although there have been increased sightings, it is hard to know whether there are more sharks in the water or whether the spate of attacks has caused people to pay more attention.
Attacks tend to be more common during their mating season, which experts believe is in the autumn months. However, they still know little about the elusive species.
Tiger sharks are considered one of the "big three" shark species, next to the great white and the bull shark. These three sharks are considered to be the most dangerous and are most likely to attack people.
Shark expert James Sulikowski, a marine biologist at the Sulikowski Shark and Fish Conservation Lab at Arizona State University, told Newsweek in April that there are usually several factors to consider when explaining the cause of a shark attack.
"Historically, surfing and that type of activity is the second most prone to have an interaction with a shark," he said. "So it's not unusual for a surfer to interact and have an encounter with a shark."
Sulikowski said that the surrounding conditions are very important to consider.
"Were there food sources for the shark—turtles, for example? If you look up at a turtle's silhouette, it looks a lot like a person on a surfboard. And for a tiger shark that feeds primarily at the surface, for them it's an opportunity to eat, and if they see a turtle is not moving, it's an easy target," he said.
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