NSB, Ormond Beach beachgoers disagree with 'deadliest' beach assessment

Known as the Shark Bite Capital of the World, it's no secret that New Smyrna Beach is a favorite spot among sharks in the Atlantic Ocean.

But sometimes, the city's famous title overshadows the coastline's other qualities.

That's what beachgoers thought when online publication Travel Lens released its list of "deadliest" beaches in America with New Smyrna Beach at number one.

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Gary and Ellen Kimball were enjoying a day on the beach on Thursday morning. Visiting from Massachusetts, the couple spends a few weeks a year in New Smyrna Beach, and they aren’t sure the incidents here warrant the “deadly” label.

“I love it," Gary Kimball said. "It’s laid back. I used to surf, and it goes with the territory, it’s dangerous to surf. I know they are known for their sharks here, but I was never bitten by a shark.”

The list is based on data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and The Shark Institute, and looks at surf fatalities, hurricane frequency and shark attacks.

Out of the 10 cities listed, seven are in Florida. Since 2010, New Smyrna Beach has faced 10 surf zone fatalities and twice as many shark attacks as any other beach (32; surf zone fatalities and shark attack data is current through Jan. 13, 2023). The coastal city has also been hit with 120 hurricanes between 1851 and 2020, according to NOAA.

“All the years I’ve been coming, I think I’ve seen a shark here once,” Ellen Kimball said. “And I’m sure there’s many, but I don’t think of it as the deadliest beach.”

Besides being known for its shark bite incidents, Gary Kimball said other aspects about New Smyrna Beach beaches should be recognized.

“It’s a wide beach,” he said. “There are big shifts in tide – low tide, high tide. I don’t particularly care for driving on the beach, but you can. And they keep it clean.”

Ellen Kimball doesn't mind cars on the beach.

“It’s a great option to be able to drive on the beach,” she said. “To bring your kids and have safety around your own vehicle – I’ve never seen any issues.”

The Kimballs live in a coastal Massachusetts town, and Gary said he is especially impressed with the work of Volusia County's lifeguards.

“I’ve seen them run 500 yards and go into the water to save someone out of a riptide,” he said. “They know their business, and they do it well.”

'Deadly too strong a word'

Ormond Beach, another coastal city in Volusia County, was number three on the list.

Carol and Betty Dunkel, longtime area residents, sat near the water in front of Andy Romano Beachfront Park Thursday. Carol Dunkel agreed that “deadly” is “too strong a word.”

“I think every beach has its hazards,” she said. “I think if you are along a coast, no matter where you are in the world, there are going to be problems. I mean, let’s talk about Australia and their shark issues. I think ‘deadly’ is too strong a word.”

“When you think of deadly, you think of maybe syringes all over the beach and in the water,” Dunkel added.

She praised the local beach for being wide, like New Smyrna’s, which gives beachgoers space to participate in several activities, like walking and running.

“The water’s nice and clean,” Carol Dunkel said. “There is a lot of wildlife in the water – good wildlife and bad. There is also lots of wildlife on the beach, lots of birds for bird watchers.”

Betty Dunkel made the point that surfing incidents can be caused by the surfer’s “carelessness” or “lack of ability.”

“My husband was a former lifeguard here,” Betty Dunkel said. “And most of the drownings that he experienced, people he saved, were people who came to the beach who were not familiar with the dangers of the water.”

'It’s not an issue; it’s a story'

Area tourism officials downplayed the latest “deadliest” beach rankings as a misleading representation of the risks related to sharks in ocean waters that’s unlikely to deter visitors from coming.

“We have not had a fatality here,” said Debbie Meihls, president and CEO of the New Smyrna Beach Visitors Bureau.  “I call them nips, not bites. No one has lost a limb or been fatally injured on our beach.

“We have to respect their territory, but I’m not aware of any fatalities that have happened anywhere in Volusia County because of a shark attack.”

Instead, sharks are part of the eco-system that makes nearby Ponce Inlet and the Indian River Lagoon among North America’s most biologically diverse estuaries, an attraction for visitors in the realm of eco-tourism, she said.

“That’s huge in this day and age of pollution and water-quality issues,” Meihls said. “We have dolphins, manatees, oysters, everything in there. It’s very important.”

Only occasionally does she hear concerns about sharks from potential visitors.

“Most people are not fearful of it,” Meihls said. “The surfers, they still surf.”

Likewise, the impact of the latest ranking also is expected to be minimal by Bob Davis, president and CEO of the Lodging & Hospitality Association of Volusia County.

“I’ve never heard in my entire career someone tell me that they were afraid to come to Daytona Beach because of sharks in water,” he said. “Never in 56 years have I heard this. It’s not an issue; it’s a story.”

News-Journal reporter Jim Abbott contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida's 'deadliest' beaches: NSB, Ormond Beach locals disagree with rank