--- ---  # Don't Worry, Shark Attacks Are Still Incredibly Rare  by [Nolan Feeney](https://time.com/author/nolan-feeney/)  ## Nolan Feeney Updated: Dec 14, 2023 8:43 AM UTCPublished: Jul 6, 2014 7:32 PM UTC  Great White Shark Great White SharkGetty Images  by [Nolan Feeney](https://time.com/author/nolan-feeney/)  ## Nolan Feeney Updated: Dec 14, 2023 8:43 AM UTCPublished: Jul 6, 2014 7:32 PM UTC The grisly [shark attacks](http://time.com/3920903/jaws-oak-island-brunswick-county-two-teens-are-severely-injured-in-shark-attacks-in-n-carolina/) on two teenagers in North Carolina over the weekend may trigger the _Jaws_ theme in nervous beach-goers’ heads, but there’s no need to be afraid of the water — shark attacks are still incredibly uncommon. There have only been 12 people killed by shark attacks between the years 2001 and 2013, and as _National Geographic_ notes in the video above — made after a swimmer’s run-in with a [great white shark](http://time.com/2958852/shark-bites-man-near-southern-california-beach/) at California’s Manhattan Beach in 2014 — you’re much more likely to get injured by your own toilet or a room freshener. Despite Manhattan Beach's Great White Shark, Attacks Still Uncommon ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/2960333/shark-attacks-uncommon/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/2960333/shark-attacks-uncommon/"},"headline":"Don't Worry, Shark Attacks Are Still Incredibly Rare","datePublished":"2014-07-06T19:32:29.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-14T08:43:20.000Z","description":"Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water ... it is","url":"https://time.com/2960333/shark-attacks-uncommon/","keywords":["animals","Sharks"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt460378c8e04aa37c/69869aac1eebf7e6c0371c2c/134573460-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nolan Feeney","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/nolan-feeney/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt460378c8e04aa37c/69869aac1eebf7e6c0371c2c/134573460-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Great White Shark","caption":"Great White Shark","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/animals/","name":"animals"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/2960333/shark-attacks-uncommon/","name":"Don't Worry, Shark Attacks Are Still Incredibly Rare"}}]}] ```