2 women die from shark bites in less than a week: How common are fatal shark attacks?

Fatal shark attacks are extremely rare, with only an average of 10 reported a year. However, two fatal shark attacks occurred in the past four days alone, according to authorities.

A woman visiting the Bahamas from Boston was killed by a shark while she was paddleboarding off the coast of a resort on Monday. And on Saturday, a woman was killed in a shark attack off the beaches of Melaque, Mexico. The 26-year-old woman was swimming with her five-year-old daughter when she was severely bitten in the leg by the shark. Her daughter was unharmed.

Although both these attacks occurred outside the U.S., 47 years of shark attack data shows that Florida has long been the shark bite capital of the world.

On average, there are about 100 documented shark attacks around the globe each year, and Florida is home to most of those, according to Floridapanhandle.com.

Here's what else to know about the frequency of shark attacks – and the odds of being killed by one.

Global shark attack data: How many people have been attacked by sharks in the past half-century?

A total of 1,234 shark bites and attacks have been recorded in the past 47 years worldwide, with approximately 14% of those being fatal, the Floridapanhandle.com website shows.

The vast majority of bites are unprovoked (94%) while a small number of attacks (6%) are provoked.

One thousand respondents were asked if they would be willing to be bitten by a shark, and 15% of respondents said they would indeed agree to be attacked by a shark if it turned out to be a "cool story," but that's only if they have no permanent injuries.

Odds of being attacked or killed by a shark

Your odds of being attacked and killed by a shark are 1 in 3.7 million.

Overall, the United States has tallied the most attacks (720) with a fatality rate of 6%. Australia and Africa report far fewer attacks, 261 and 72 respectively, yet both nations are home to waters that are much more deadly than those in the states.

The fatality rate in Australia is 23%, while the kill rate in Africa is a whopping 38%, according to the site.

Where do the most fatal shark attacks occur?

The southernmost tip of Africa is home of one of the world's great populations of white sharks, and the fatality statistics from Floridapanhandle.com show that these waters are dangerous for surfers and swimmers.

While only three people have been killed by sharks in the shark attacks capital of the world, it seems that most attacks in South Africa are fatal.

Tips on avoiding shark bites

The chance of being bitten by a shark “remain incredibly low,” according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s Florida Program for Shark Research's annual report. However, certain measures can make swimmers safe, reducing the risk of a bite: 

• Remove reflective jewelry.
• Avoid areas where people are fishing.
• Leave the water if you see abundant bait fish.
• Swim in groups.
• Don’t wander too far from shore.
• Swim in front of a lifeguard.
• Don’t swim in dim or dark light.

Chad Gillis contributed to this reporting