Growing up in the shark bite capitol of the WORLD, New Smyrna Beach, FL, I was no stranger to sharkey waters. So when the idea of moving to Nicaragua came to mind, I couldn’t help but think the first thing to ask is “Are there frequent shark attacks?”
Pictured: Lance Drake surfing in New Smyrna Beach, FL
With two sides of the country of Nicaragua being large bodies of water (the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea), there has to be tons of shark attacks right? Apparently not! To this day, there are only six recorded shark attacks, where 3 were in the freshwater lake of Lake Nicaragua. Scientists led to believe that the presence of these sharks are due to the lake’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Suggesting that the area the lake currently occupies, was previously a giant bay. So over time, the gap closed, forming a lake and trapping the sharks. Which then adapted, as the water gradually changed from saline to fresh.
Overall, the odds of getting attacked and killed by a shark are 1 in 3,748,067. In a lifetime, you are more likely to die from fireworks (1 in 340,733), lightning (1 in 79,746), a car accident (1 in 84), stroke (1 in 24), or heart disease (1 in 5). So it looks like we are in the clear, living in a low-risk shark zone! That doesn’t mean you won’t hear a story from many locals who live on or near Lake Nicaragua, telling the tales of a grandfather or great uncle who was attacked by a shark, which obviously are few and far between. And the GOOD news is – there’s no surf in the lake, so we won’t be taking you there! Most people have never seen even the dorsal fin above the water or the sharp point of a tooth washed up on the beach… So I wouldn’t worry too much.
Pictured: The Ferry on Lake Nicaragua
Check out this “rethink the shark” video below. A Chica Brava favorite with a funny spin about the probability of a shark attack.
Annaleigh Jaildagian
Camp Operations Manager/New Smyrna Beach Local
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