3. Black December
The southern coast of the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa is a holiday hotspot. And starting in 1957, it was the home to a series of terrifying shark attacks.
The first attack was on December 18, 1957, when a 16-year-old bodysurfer lost his leg, but survived. This was followed by two fatal attacks: a 15-year-old boy was killed two days after the first attack, and then three days later a 23-year-old man was killed.
The next victim was a 20-year-old man, who was bitten on the head and neck while he was skin-diving on December 26. The fifth victim was a 14-year-old girl, who was attacked just four days later. Luckily, both survived. The next four victims wouldn’t be as lucky. They were all killed as a result of their injuries.
The string of shark attacks, called Black December, came to an end in April 1958. In total, nine people were attacked and six people died.
The shark attacks scared away many of the tourists, making the once thriving coastal towns virtual ghost towns. To make the beaches safer, and to lure tourist back, shark nets were placed in 38 different spots along the coast. They catch 1,245 sharks per year. The sharks are released a short time later, and the nets have reduced shark attacks by 90 percent.
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