There's nothing that says "summer movie" quite like a good, old fashioned shark movie. Jaws basically invented the summer blockbuster with the ultimate shark movie back in 1975, and the formula has been copied countless times since then. The newest entry into the summer shark movie category is The Shallows , which sees surfer Blake Lively doing battle with a dorsal finned-beast while she is stranded on a rock in the middle of the ocean. It certainly makes for a terrifying popcorn movie, but how often do shark attacks happen in real life?
You probably don't have to cancel your beach plans just yet. According to the International Shark Attack File, there have been 2,866 confirmed shark attacks on humans worldwide since 1580. Obviously, the numbers are a bit skewed since record-keeping would not have been very accurate until probably the twentieth century, but the point is that attacks are not that frequent. For a more accurate number, you could look at last year, which set the record for shark attacks. 98 people were attacked by sharks in 2015, which means that someone in the world was attacked by a shark about every three-and-a-half days. So what are the odds of a shark attack happening to you? According to the U.S. Lifesaving Association, your odds of being attacked by a shark in the U.S. are 1 in 11.5 million. To put that in perspective, here are some things that are statistically more likely to happen to you.
Be Struck By Lightning In Your Lifetime — 1 In 12,000
Even your odds of being struck by lightning this year are 1 in 960,000 — still much higher than the shark odds.
See A UFO Today — 1 In 3,000,000
The truth is out there more frequently than sharks, it would seem.
Get Drafted By An NBA Team — 1 In 6,864,000
You're far more likely to play alongside Lebron James than you are to be eaten by a great white, if you can believe it.
Hit A Hole In One — 1 In 5,000
On second thought, maybe you should become a pro golfer instead with those odds.
Win An Oscar — 1 In 11,500
How did it take Leo so long?
Be Killed By A Tornado — 1 In 60,000
But what are the odds that it just takes you to Oz?
Be Killed By A Meteorite — 1 In 250,000
Tell that to the dinosaurs.
Be Injured By A Toilet — 1 In 10,000
Stay out of the bathroom.
Be Killed By Fireworks — 1 In 616,488
Great, just in time for Independence Day.
Be Killed By A Bee Sting — 1 In 79,842
Where are all the summer bee movies?
Become President Of The U.S. — 1 In 10,000,000
But when will we have a president who's also been attacked by a shark?
As you can see, sharks should be the least of your worries. So just steer clear of toilets from now on, and you'll be fine.
Images: Columbia Pictures; Giphy
