Is that a fin poking out of the water?

It’s almost time for summer vacations. But recent news has some beachgoers worried. Sharks bit swimmers in Hawaii and Florida. An unseen creature, likely a shark, bit a surfer’s foot in New Jersey.

Is it safe to swim? Or should vacationers stay on the sand?

Sharks may seem scary. Hollywood movies paint them as monsters. Just look at all those teeth! But scientists say it’s fine to jump into the water. Shark attacks are rare. Serious injuries occur even less often.

Let’s look at the facts behind the attacks.

Sharks nibble between 70 and 80 people every year worldwide. That number is going down. Last year saw only 57 bites. So why do attacks seem so common? Maybe it’s the dramatic survival stories. Maybe it’s the movies. Some experts blame the rise of smartphones. With almost everyone carrying cell phones, beachgoers can report shark sightings in real time. But your actual risk of getting bitten is very low.

Most bites occur in the United States and Australia. Florida had more shark incidents than any other place last year. These encounters most often happen at dawn and dusk.

Not all sharks are deadly. White sharks, bull sharks, and tiger sharks pose the biggest threat. But some bites come from smaller species. These little fellas are less likely to cause serious harm. If one bites a human, it usually realizes its mistake and swims away.

Still worried about a fishy meeting? Try these simple things to make swimming safer. Avoid carrying shiny objects into the water. Don’t swim in spots where sharks often feed. You could also avoid swimming at dawn and dusk.

God created sharks to roam the oceans. He designed them to eat smaller fish. When these big, toothy fish attack people, they aren’t being mean. They’re usually just confused. They think they found breakfast.

So don’t worry too much about taking a summer swim. With a little wisdom, we can share the waters.

So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. — Genesis 1:21