The mako shark, the fastest, can swim at speeds of 22 mph. They can sense vibrations more than a mile away. And they have an extraordinary sense of smell. A shark can detect an odor from a distance about the length of a football field. Talk about bloodthirsty.
Sharks can detect as little as one part per million of blood in the water from a mile away.
Attack facts Last year, Florida had the highest number of reported shark attacks 34 in the world, according to the International Shark Attack File. Florida had one fatal shark attack last year. A man was killed by a bull shark when he dove into shallow water behind his dock near St. Petersburg. Of 375 shark species, fewer than 10 are considered dangerous to humans. Contrary to myth, sharks are not man-eaters.