Despite the scary headlines, shark attacks were down in the USA and worldwide in 2018, according to a report released Monday.

Last year, 66 unprovoked shark attacks were reported around the globe, which was down from the average of 84 attacks and also below the 88 attacks in 2017. As for deaths, sharks killed four people in 2018, which is below the average of six, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File.

Why the "unusual" drop in shark attacks? Obviously, there could be fewer bites because there are fewer sharks, said Gavin Naylor, the director of the Florida Museum of Natural History's shark research program. "Or it could be that the general public is heeding the advice of beach safety officials.

"My hope is that the lower numbers are a consequence of people becoming more aware and accepting of the fact that they’re sharing the ocean with these animals,” Naylor said in a statement. More than half of the unprovoked attacks around the world in 2018 involved board sports in surf zones that often attract sharks.

(“Unprovoked attacks” are defined as incidents in which an attack on a live human occurs in the shark’s natural habitat with no human provocation of the shark.)

Though sharks killed four people, people killed about 100 million sharks last year. Most are killed by commercial fishermen for their fins and flesh.

The four human deaths were in the USA, Australia, Egypt and Brazil.

The U.S.death was on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in September. It was the state's first in 82 years. That publicity, plus a nonfatal attack on Fire Island, New York, the same day, gave the illusion that 2018 was "a big year for shark bites," Naylor said.

The USA led the world in attacks again with 32, although it was a steep drop from 53 in 2017. Florida, for decades the U.S. leader in attacks, reported 16 unprovoked bites, down from 31 in 2017.

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The drop could be a result of a decreasing blacktip shark population, the most common biters of beachgoers, the Shark Attack File reported. “Blacktips used to amass in huge numbers along the coast of Florida, and there have been far fewer of them, particularly in the last two or three years,” Naylor said.

“What the public needs to do is become informed about these animals, understand their behavior patterns and listen to the guidelines issued by beach safety patrols.” he said.

Summertime shark mania probably started with the book and movie "Jaws" in the 1970s. Specifically, the national fear of shark attacks got its start in 1975 after the release of the summer movie blockbuster that unleashed the primal fear of being eaten alive while swimming.

How rare are shark attack deaths? The odds of being killed by a shark in the USA are 3,748,067 to 1. Bees, wasps, dogs and snakes are responsible for far more deaths each year in the USA than sharks, the Shark Attack File said.

Most U.S. deaths from animals are not actually because of wild critters such as mountain lions, wolves, bears or sharks but are a result of deadly encounters with farm animals, insect stings or dog attacks, according to a study in February 2018.

At the beach, you're about as likely to die from falling in a hole in the sand as being killed by a shark.