It seems like we’re hearing more and more about shark bites near Florida’s beaches. But what if you could track shark activity before you even head to the beach?

Florida is known for many things: beautiful beaches, sunny days, and lots of traffic. And it continues to be the shark attack capital of the country.

According to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File, the state recorded the most unprovoked shark bites in the U.S. in 2023, with 16 confirmed cases.

According to a new report from the Florida Museum of Natural History, the Sunshine State had the most unprovoked shark bites in the country last year.

And just last month, in less than a week, four shark bites were reported in Volusia County.

While it’s unlikely you’ll get bitten on your next trip to the beach, you can track and see the latest shark activity with a helpful shark tracker from OCEARCH.

How does the tracker work?

With the OCEARCH Shark Tracker you can not only search for the latest shark activity around the world, but also filter by location, gender, age of the animal, tracking activity and species.

This is, of course, the activity of animals that scientists have been able to mark over the years.

More than 400 animals were tagged by the OCEARCH team, including other animals such as alligators, dolphins, turtles and seals.

OCEARCH is a global, data-centric nonprofit organization dedicated to helping scientists collect previously unavailable data about the oceans while making their research and exploration open source.

Using SPOT (Smart Positioning and Temperature) tags, OCEARCH can track sharks in real time.

When a shark’s fin stays above the water surface for a period of time, the tags transmit a “ping” location.

It’s important to know that not every shark in the ocean is tagged, so even if you check the tracker, it’s important to be vigilant when you go to the beach.

Tips to reduce the risk of a shark bite

NBC6 reached out to a shark expert at Nova Southeastern University to learn behaviors that can reduce the risk of a shark bite.

Mahmood Shivji, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and director of the Shark Research Center at the Save Our Seas Foundation and the Guy Harvey Research Institute.

According to Dr. Shivji, you should follow the following tips:

• Move slowly towards the shore and get out of the water. Stay as still as possible and avoid splashing.
• Never attempt to touch a shark, pull on its tail, or harass it in any way.
• Don’t wear shiny, reflective items in the ocean – like jewelry. Fish scales also reflect light and it’s possible that a shark will be attracted to them.
• Avoid uneven tanning, bright colors, and high-contrast clothing, as sharks can detect contrasts particularly well.
• Do not swim where fishing is taking place or where there is fishing bait in the water.
• Be careful when staying near sandbars or steep drop-offs as sharks often congregate there.
• Always stay close to a companion, as sharks are more likely to approach a single animal. Also, don’t stray too far from the shore.
• Avoid being in the water during low-light conditions, such as at dawn or dusk, and at night when many sharks are most active and foraging.
• There is no evidence that sharks are attracted to the smell of human blood, but it may be advisable to avoid the water if an open wound is bleeding.