Shark Attacks at 12-Year High

The number, though, is still pretty small

If you were terrified to go into the water after Jaws, don't read the International Shark Attack File survey out this week. It reports that U.S. shark attacks reached a 12-year high in 2012.

Still, it's probably safe to go into the water.

The 53 attacks in 2012 equals the number in 2000. In 2011, there were 31 attacks. The report notes that "such marked year-to-year jumps and drops in shark-human interactions … are not unusual as a plethora of oceanographic, meteorological, economic and human social variables affect the opportunity for humans and sharks to cross paths in a given year."