[music playing]
The coastline,
extending roughly
15 miles around the town,
is a shark-attack hot spot.
There have been as
many as 20 shark attacks
in a single year, which
is a tremendous number
for such a small area.
NARRATOR: In fact,
since records began,
this tiny region has
seen a shocking total
of more than 220 shark attacks.
That means roughly one
out of every 25 attacks
worldwide happens
here, earning the area
A terrifying claim to fame.
New Smyrna Beach has
been nicknamed the Shark
Attack Capital of the World.
NARRATOR: It's a reputation
no one in this tourist haven
wants.
People ask me every day,
are there sharks out there?
We really can't tell
what the cause is
when people get bit out there.
A lot of people will not
come here because of that.
NARRATOR: This
problem must be solved
for the sake of beachgoers
here and across the nation.
It's really important to
identify the factors that are
associated with the
spike in shark attacks,
because we have
a chance of using
that knowledge to
keep beachgoers
safe throughout the world.
NARRATOR: So what makes
New Smyrna so different?
Why are humans more likely to be
bitten here than anywhere else
on Earth?
Perhaps a clue can be
found within the species
responsible for Emma's incident.
The vast majority of attacks
worldwide are conducted by one
of three types of sharks--
bulls, tigers, or whites.
But based on the pattern
of Emma's wounds,
experts believe she might have
been bitten by a blacktip.
Blacktip sharks are found
in warm, coastal waters
across the globe.
They often feed in
large schools and are
easily recognizable by
the black-colored markings
on their fins.
And they grow up to
8 feet long, which
means they're large enough
to take down a human.
Dr. Stephen Kajiura
has been studying
blacktips along Florida's
coast for almost a decade.
Each year, he takes to the
skies to research this species,
taking part in one of the
most awe-inspiring marine
phenomenons in the world.
This footage shows
what we've captured
by doing an aerial survey.
You can see all
those little dots.
Every one of those is a shark.
Just in that narrow band,
we're seeing literally
tens of thousands of sharks.
NARRATOR: This is the blacktip
migration, the largest shark
migration in the United States.
There are hundreds
of thousands
of these blacktips
making this migration
along the coast every year.
They come down to
spend the winter
here in Florida, because the
temperature is ideal for them.
NARRATOR: Many different
types of sharks
migrate annually in search of
food, warmer waters, or a mate.
Most travel alone,
or in small groups.
And they typically
do so in deep waters.
But the potential
problem for beachgoers
is that the hordes of
blacktips prefer the shallows.
STEPHEN KAJIURA: These
sharks hug the shoreline.
They might be doing
that to stay away
from predators-- baiter sharks.
So we have thousands
of them so close
to shore, right along the beach
where all the bathers are.
NARRATOR: Any time
there is an influx
of sharks in an area, the
chance of a run-in with humans
also increases.
So is the large number of
attacks near New Smyrna simply
the result of this large
number of blacktips inshore?
The answer comes down to timing.
The blacktips pass New Smyrna
from September to November,
then again in March and April.
And only about half of
the attacks on record
took place during those months.
So the migration may play a
part in some of the incidents,
but it's not the whole story.
