'Sharks don't like to eat people': attack statistics contradict untested theories

More of us are in the water than ever before - and while we kill 100m of them every year, it seems that sharks just don't like the way we taste

Mick Fanning's close shave with a shark while competing in South Africa is likely to amplify mutterings from some ocean-goers over what they perceive as a dangerous escalation in shark numbers.

Any flurry of shark attacks spurs calls for something to be done. Already in 2015, there have been 13 unprovoked attacks by sharks, causing one fatality, in Australia. This is fairly unusual - there's only been one year over the past decade with more than 14 attacks.