Alligators vs. Sharks

If you're from an area free of sharks and alligators, you may wonder about the wisdom of sharing the water with them.

Consider the facts: from 1976 to 1995, of the millions who flocked to [Carolina's and Georgia's] surf and sounds, alligators attacked just six of them, and sharks sunk their teeth into nine others.
So which is worse-a gator attack or a shark attack? Based on statistics compiled on attacks in six states, neither is as lethal as you might expect. If you get attacked by an alligator, you still have a 96.6 percent chance of walking away--or, at least, of hopping away--from the encounter. Even better, a full 98 percent of shark attack victims live to tell the tale.
--Moon Handbooks: Charleston & Savannah
(First Edition, 2003)