Smyrna Beach, in Florida, is the shark-attack capital of the world, according to a database called the International Shark Attack File. Each year, thousands of people dip their toes and then jump in, stroking past the surf and into a zone that’s literally thick with sharks. To date, 210 attacks have been reported there. In late March, 2008, three swimmers were bitten by sharks and were hospitalized.

"Most people who have swum in and around New Smyrna have been within 10 feet of a shark in their lifetime," says George Burgess, an ichthyologist and fisheries biologist at the University of Florida who maintains the International Shark Attack File (ISAF).