One June 20, 1975, a fictional great white shark stalked beachgoers on Amity Island — and struck terror into moviegoers around the world. Jaws, based on Peter Benchley’s best-selling novel, was a blockbuster. Its portrayal of sharks as bloodthirsty man-eaters bred widespread mistrust, fear and outright ill-will toward these animals.
In truth, you’re more likely to be struck by lightning than bitten by a shark. Millions of people swim in the seas each year, but an average of just 64 bites are recorded annually worldwide. And only 9 percent of those bites are fatal, equaling about six shark-inflicted deaths globally, according to the International Shark Attack File.