Stunning Beach in Brazil Has Highest Rate of Shark Attacks in the World

Recife is known for its beaches and is the 6th largest metropolitan city in Brazil, and the area is also home to some amazing beaches. But tourists are apprehensive to visit Recife's beaches because they hold the title as 'one of the most shark-infested beaches' in the world.

The shocking number of fatal shark attacks turns the tourists away. In a span of 20 years, there were 56 attacks recorded in 2012, according to a report by BBC. Of the 56, 21 are fatal, with a death rate of 37 percent. Due to the devastating numbers, less and less people are enticed to visit the beaches on the Northeast Coast of Brazil.

In Boa Viagem, Recife, there are people seen frolicking by the beach despite warning signs of shark attacks according to a report by TechInsider. Although people still show up to watch the sun and stay by the shores, locals are unbending when it comes to swimming in the beach. They tend to ward off tourists; too, saying shark attacks are common in the area.

But the surprising thing is that before shark infestation, Recife is a bustling haven according to Green Global. Some people believe that the building of nearby port disrupted the sharks' breeding and hunting patterns causing them to go nearer to the Recife beaches.

The Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE) said in an interview with BBC that the disturbance in the environment plays a big role in the increase of deadly tiger sharks and bull sharks in the area.

To mitigate the problem the Dr. Fabio Hazin, a professor at the Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco implemented a shark monitoring program in 2014. They suggested that the possible cure to alleviate shark infestation in the area is to 'capture and release' sharks which will lead to a safer Recife beaches without killing the animals.