Sharks are as majestic as they’re terrifying. In 2015, a study revealed that over half of the American population is terrified of sharks, possibly diagnosable with Galeophobia. And it’s no wonder, as it’s an entirely primal instinct on our end. As such, if you’re in that camp too, you may wonder whether you may encounter sharks in Greece. Do shark attacks happen in Greece? Let’s take a look.
Let’s rip the bandaid off: there are sharks in the waters around Greece. Plenty of them even. There are about 40 species of sharks roaming around the islands. For the most part, however, these species are either harmless to humans in general or simply don’t come near the coastlines very often. The more dangerous sharks do appear around Greece, like the great white shark, the common thresher or the basking shark, though, again, we’re simply not interesting enough for them to besiege our beaches.
Shark attacks in Greece
Since 1847, meaning in the last 176 years, 15 unprovoked shark attacks have been recorded. Not all of these were fatal either. That is effectively one shark attack per 12 years. If we compare that to the amount of tourists that Greece sees, the likelihood of that actually happening is incredibly small – you’re pretty much just as likely to win a lottery. You’re probably better off looking out for sharp rocks and sea urchins.
As such, no, you don’t need to worry about sharks in Greece too much. Of course, do remain cautious, especially if you’d like to dive far away from the coast. It’s not like sharks don’t exist in Greece, just don’t expect them to bother you when you’re melting on the beach. They’re courteous like that.
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