Shark attack

{{short description|Attack on a human by a shark}} {{other uses|Shark Attack (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox medical condition (new) | name = Shark attack | synonym = | image = Cahoon hollow shark warning.jpg | image_size = | alt = A blue flag with a white picture of a shark, flying at a beach | caption = A flag at Cahoon Hollow Beach in Wellfleet, Massachusetts warning of shark activity | pronounce = | specialty =  | symptoms = Bleeding, Lacerations from the shark's teeth | complications = Amputation, blood loss, sepsis | onset = | duration = | types = | causes = Sharks | risks = Surfing, storms, being stuck adrift, swimming at night | diagnosis = | differential = | prevention = Shark barrier, Shark nets, Drum lines, range of other methods | treatment = | medication = | prognosis = | frequency = Rare | deaths = }}

A '''shark attack''' is an incident in which a shark bites or otherwise injures a human. Every year, around 80 unprovoked attacks are reported worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |quote=The 2016 yearly total of 81 unprovoked attacks was on par with our most recent five-year (2011–2015) average of 82 incidents & 11 deaths annually. |url=https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/fish/isaf/worldwide-summary/ |title=Yearly Worldwide Shark Attack Summary |publisher=Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida |work=International Shark Attack File |access-date=27 November 2017 }}</ref> Despite their rarity,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.asu.edu/20200806-discoveries-asu-shark-scientist-fatal-shark-attacks-extremely-rare|title=ASU shark scientist: Fatal shark attacks 'extremely rare'|date=6 August 2020|website=ASU News}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/science/2011/aug/17/shark-attacks-rare-deaths-rarer|title=Shark attacks are rare – and related deaths even rarer|date=17 August 2011|website=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2014/7/8/5878881/shark-attacks-rising-comparison-dogs|title=How common are shark attacks, really?|first=Brad|last=Plumer|date=8 July 2014|website=Vox}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/16/chart-the-animals-that-are-most-likely-to-kill-you-this-summer| title = Chart: The animals that are most likely to kill you this summer – The Washington Post| newspaper = The Washington Post}}</ref> many people fear shark attacks after occasional serial attacks, such as the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916, and horror fiction and films such as the ''Jaws'' series. Out of more than 500 shark species, only three are responsible for a double-digit number of fatal, unprovoked attacks on humans: the great white, tiger, and bull.<ref name="isaf">{{Cite web |title=Species Implicated in Attacks |url=https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/factors/species-implicated/ |access-date=2025-07-21 |website=International Shark Attack File |language=en-US}}</ref> Humans are not part of a shark's normal diet. Sharks usually feed on small fish and invertebrates, seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals. A shark attack will usually occur if the shark feels curious or confused.<ref>{{Cite web |last=US Department of Commerce |first=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title=Are sharks dangerous? |url=https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sharkseat.html |access-date=2024-01-04 |website=oceanservice.noaa.gov |language=EN-US}}</ref>

== Terminology == While the term "shark attack" is in common use for instances of humans being wounded by sharks, it has been suggested that this is based largely on the assumption that large predatory sharks (such as great white, bull, and tiger sharks) seek humans as prey. A 2013 review recommends that only in instances where a shark clearly predates on a human should the bite incident be termed an "attack," implying predation. Otherwise, it is more accurate to class bite incidents as "fatal bite incidents". Sightings do include physical interaction, encounters including physical interaction with harm, shark bites include major shark bite incidents, including those that require medical attention, and fatal shark bite incidents that result in death. The study suggests that only where an expert validates the predatory intent of a shark would it be appropriate to term a bite incident an attack.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pepin-Neff |first1=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Pepin-Neff |last2=Hueter |first2=Robert |date=23 January 2013 |title=Science, policy, and the public discourse of shark "attack": a proposal for reclassifying human–shark interactions |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235930824 |journal=Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences |language=en |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=65–73 |doi=10.1007/s13412-013-0107-2 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2013JEnSS...3...65N }}</ref>

== Types of attacks == [[File:Shark warning - Salt Rock South Africa.jpg|alt=A photograph of a rectangular sign attached to a wooden post. White text on a blue background reads "Natal sharks board. Warning notice. Shark safety measures have been installed at this beach to enhance protection of bathers but all persons entering the sea do so entirely at their own risk. No liability accepted. Avoid swimming or surfing at dawn, dusk and at night when the risk of shark attack is greater. By order."|thumb|A sign warning about the presence of sharks off Salt Rock, South Africa]] Shark attack indices use different criteria to determine if an attack was "provoked" or "unprovoked." When considered from the shark's point of view, attacks on humans who are perceived as a threat to the shark or a competitor to its food source are all "provoked" attacks. Neither the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) nor the Global Shark Attack File (GSAF) accord casualties of air/sea disasters "provoked" or "unprovoked" status. Rather, these incidents are considered a separate category.<ref name="ISAF-2011Summary">{{cite web |url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/isaf/2011summary.html |title=ISAF 2011 Worldwide Shark Attack Summary |last=Burgess |first=George H. |author-link=George H. Burgess |publisher=Global Shark Attack File |access-date=26 June 2012}}</ref><ref name="GSAF-IL">{{cite web |url=http://www.sharkattackfile.net/incidentlog.htm |title=Incident Log |publisher=Global Shark Attack File |access-date=26 June 2012}}</ref> Postmortem scavenging of human remains (typically drowning victims) are also not accorded "provoked" or "unprovoked" status.<ref name="GSAF-IL" /><ref name="GSAF-sppStats" /> The GSAF categorizes scavenging bites on humans as "questionable incidents."<ref name="GSAF-IL" /> The most common criteria for determining "provoked" and "unprovoked" attacks are discussed below:

=== Provoked attack === Provoked attacks occur when a human touches, hooks, nets, or otherwise aggravates the animal. Incidents that occur outside of a shark's natural habitat, such as aquariums and research holding-pens, are considered provoked, as are all incidents involving captured sharks. Sometimes humans inadvertently provoke an attack, such as when a surfer accidentally hits a shark with a surf board.

=== Unprovoked attack === Unprovoked attacks are initiated by the shark—they occur in a shark's natural habitat on a live human and without human provocation.<ref name="ISAF-2011Summary" /><ref name="GSAF-IL" /> There are three subcategories of unprovoked attack: * Hit-and-run attack – usually non-fatal, the shark bites and then leaves; most victims do not see the shark. This is the most common type of attack and typically occurs in the surf zone or in murky water. Most hit-and-run attacks are believed to be the result of mistaken identity.<ref name="ISAF-HWW">{{cite web |url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/attacks/howwhen.htm |title=How, When, & Where Sharks Attack |last=Burgess |first=George H. |author-link=George H. Burgess |publisher=International Shark Attack File |access-date=26 June 2012}}</ref> * Sneak attack – the victim will not usually see the shark, and may sustain multiple deep bites. This kind of attack is predatory in nature and is often carried out with the intention of consuming the victim. It is extraordinarily rare for this to occur. * Bump-and-bite attack – the shark circles and bumps the victim before biting. Great whites are known to do this on occasion, referred to as a "test bite", in which the great white is trying to identify what is being bitten. Repeated bites, depending on the reaction of the victim (thrashing or panicking may lead the shark to believe the victim is prey), are not uncommon and can be severe or fatal. Bump-and-bite attacks are not believed to be the result of mistaken identity.<ref name="ISAF-HWW" />

An incident occurred in 2011 when a 3-meter long (~500 kg) great white shark jumped onto a 7-person research vessel off Seal Island, South Africa. The crew were undertaking a population study using sardines as bait and initially retreated to safety in the bow of the ship while the shark thrashed about, damaging equipment and fuel lines. To keep the shark alive while a rescue ship towed the research vessel to shore, the crew poured water over its gills and eventually used a pump for mechanical ventilation. The shark was ultimately lifted back into the water by crane and, after becoming disoriented and beaching itself in the harbor, was successfully towed out to sea. The incident was judged an accident.<ref>{{cite news | first = Xan | last = Rice | title = Great white shark jumps from sea into research boat | date = 19 July 2011 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/19/great-white-shark-jumps-boat | work = The Guardian | access-date = 20 July 2011 | quote = Marine researchers in South Africa had a narrow escape after a three-metre-long great white shark breached the surface of the sea and leaped into their boat, becoming trapped on deck for more than an hour. [...] Enrico Gennari, an expert on great white sharks, [...] said it was almost certainly an accident rather than an attack on the boat.| location=London}}</ref>

== Reasons for attacks == Large shark species are apex predators in their environment,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://na.nefsc.noaa.gov/sharks/ |title=Apex Predators Program |publisher=Na.nefsc.noaa.gov |access-date=23 September 2010 |archive-date=10 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140210000630/http://na.nefsc.noaa.gov/sharks/ }}</ref> and thus have little fear of any creature (other than orcas<ref name="Turner">{{Cite journal|last=Turner|first=Pamela S.|title=Showdown at Sea: What happens when great white sharks go fin-to-fin with killer whales?|journal=National Wildlife|volume=42|issue=6|date=Oct–Nov 2004|url=http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Animals/Archives/2004/Showdown-at-Sea.aspx|access-date= 21 August 2012}}</ref>) with which they cross paths. Like most sophisticated hunters, they are curious when they encounter something unusual in their territories. Lacking any limbs with sensitive digits such as hands or feet, the only way they can explore an object or organism is to bite it. These bites are known as test bites.<ref name="sharkdive">{{cite web |url=http://www.romow.com/travel-blog/what-to-expect-on-your-great-white-shark-diving-tour/ |title=What To Expect on Your Great White Shark Diving Tour |publisher=Romow.com |date=7 August 2009 |access-date=23 September 2010 |archive-date=1 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100301154944/http://www.romow.com/travel-blog/what-to-expect-on-your-great-white-shark-diving-tour/ }}</ref> Generally, shark bites are exploratory, and the animal will swim away after one bite.<ref name="sharkdive" /> For example, exploratory bites on surfers are thought to be caused by the shark mistaking the surfer and surfboard for the shape of prey.<ref name="howstuff">{{cite web|last=Grabianowski |first=Ed |url=http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/shark-attack.htm |title=HowStuffWorks "How Shark Attacks Work" |publisher=Adventure.howstuffworks.com |date= 10 August 2005|access-date=23 September 2010}}</ref> Nonetheless, a single bite can grievously injure a human if the animal involved is a powerful predator such as a great white or tiger shark.<ref>{{cite web|last=Grabianowski |first=Ed |url=http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/shark-attack4.htm |title=HowStuffWorks "Shark Attack Damage" |publisher=Adventure.howstuffworks.com |date= 10 August 2005|access-date=23 September 2010}}</ref>

A shark will normally make one swift attack and then retreat to wait for the victim to die or weaken from shock and blood loss, before returning to feed. This protects the shark from injury from a wounded and aggressive target; it also allows humans time to get out of the water and survive.<ref>{{cite web |title=Great White Shark |url=http://www.extremescience.com/GreatWhiteShark.htm |access-date=23 September 2010 |publisher=Extremescience.com}}</ref> Shark attacks may also occur due to territorial reasons or as dominance over another shark species.<ref name="howstuff1">{{cite web|last=Grabianowski |first=Ed |url=http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/shark-attack1.htm |title=HowStuffWorks "Shark Sensory System" |publisher=Adventure.howstuffworks.com |date= 10 August 2005|access-date=23 September 2010}}</ref>

Sharks are equipped with sensory organs called the Ampullae of Lorenzini that detect the electricity generated by muscle movement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marinebiodiversity.ca/shark/english/ampul.htm |title=Ampullae of Lorenzini |publisher=Marinebiodiversity.ca |access-date=23 September 2010}}</ref> The shark's electrical receptors, which pick up movement, detect signals like those emitted from wounded fish. For example, someone who is spearfishing, leading the shark to attack the person by mistake.<ref name="howstuff1" /> According to George H. Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File, "Attacks are basically an odds game based on how many hours you are in the water".<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1161702.stm | work=BBC News | title=Shark attacks at record high | date=9 February 2001 | access-date=6 April 2010}}</ref>

== Statistics == thumb|upright=2|Total shark attacks per year, 1749 to 2018<ref>{{cite web |title=Total shark attacks per year |url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/total-shark-attacks-per-year |website=Our World in Data}}</ref>

According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), between 1958 and 2016 there were 2,785 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks around the world, of which 439 were fatal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/GAttack/World.htm |title=World's Confirmed Unprovoked Shark Attacks |date=25 August 2015 |publisher=International Shark Attack File |access-date=10 September 2015}}</ref> Between 2001 and 2010, an average of 4.3 people per year died from shark attacks.<ref name="auto" />

In 2000, there were 79 shark attacks reported worldwide, 11 of them fatal.<ref name="attack2000">{{cite web|url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Sharks/statistics/statsw.htm |title=ISAF Statistics for the Top Ten Worldwide Locations with the Highest Shark Attack Activity (1999–2009) |publisher=Florida Museum of Natural History Flmnh.ufl.edu |date=25 March 2010 |access-date=23 September 2010}}</ref> In 2005 and 2006, this number decreased to 61 and 62 respectively, while the number of fatalities dropped to only four per year.<ref name="attack2000" /> The 2016 yearly total of 81 shark attacks worldwide was on par with the most recent five-year (2011–2015) average of 82 incidents annually.<ref name="attack2016">{{cite web|title=ISAF 2016 Worldwide Shark Attack Summary|url=https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/fish/isaf/worldwide-summary/|website=Florida Museum of Natural History|access-date=24 April 2017}}</ref> By contrast, the 98 shark attacks in 2015 was the highest yearly total on record.<ref name="attack2016" /> There were four fatalities worldwide in 2016, which is lower than the average of eight fatalities per year worldwide in the 2011–2015 period and six deaths per annum over the past decade.<ref name="attack2016" /> In 2016, 58% of attacks were on surfers.<ref name="attack2016" />

Despite these reports, however, the actual number of fatal shark attacks worldwide remains uncertain. In most Third World coastal nations, no method of reporting suspected shark attacks exists. Therefore, losses and fatalities near-shore or at sea often remain unsolved or unpublicized.

Of these attacks, most occurred in the United States (53 in 2000, 40 in 2005, and 39 in 2006).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/statsus.htm |title=ISAF Statistics for the USA Locations with the Highest Shark Attack Activity Since 1999 |publisher=Flmnh.ufl.edu |date=3 May 2010 |access-date=23 September 2010}}</ref> On average, there are 16 shark attacks per year in the United States, with one fatality every two years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/0613_050613_sharkfacts.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050615234827/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/0613_050613_sharkfacts.html |archive-date=15 June 2005 |title=Shark Facts: Attack Stats, Record Swims, More |publisher=News.nationalgeographic.com |date=28 October 2010 |access-date=17 August 2012}}</ref> The US states in which the most attacks have occurred are Florida, Hawaii, California, Texas and the Carolinas, though attacks have occurred in almost every coastal state.<ref name="usmap">{{cite web|url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/GAttack/mapusa.htm |title=Map of United States (incl. Hawaii) Confirmed Unprovoked Shark Attacks |publisher=Flmnh.ufl.edu |date=26 August 2010 |access-date=16 February 2012}}</ref>

Australia has the highest number of fatal shark attacks in the world, with Western Australia recently becoming the deadliest place in the world for shark attacks<ref name="yahoo1">{{cite web|url=http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/13318209/wa-deadiest-for-shark-attacks/ |title=WA 'deadiest' for shark attacks – The West Australian |publisher=Au.news.yahoo.com |date=1 April 2012 |access-date=17 August 2012}}</ref> with total and fatal shark bites growing from three to 29 total, and from zero to seven fatal bites per five years over the last 40 years.<ref name="Spri">{{cite journal|last1=Sprivulis|first1=P|title=Western Australian Coastal Shark Bites: A risk assessment|journal= Australasian Medical Journal|date=2014|pmc=3941575|pmid=24611078|doi=10.4066/AMJ.2014.2008|volume=7|issue=2|pages=137–42|doi-broken-date=1 July 2025}}</ref> Since 2000, there have been 17 fatal shark attacks along the West Australian coast,<ref name="Aust">{{cite news |title=Timeline of shark attacks along the Western Australian coast |url=https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/timeline-of-shark-attacks-along-the-western-australian-coast-20170418-gvn5jm.html |access-date=11 October 2020 |publisher=WA Today}}</ref> with divers now facing odds of one in 16,000 for a fatal shark bite.<ref name="Spri" /><ref name="whalemig">{{cite web|title=Shark attacks and whale migration in Western Australia|url=http://www.washarkattacks.net|access-date=25 April 2017}}</ref>

Other shark attack hotspots include Réunion Island,<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314162399|title=Clinical features of 27 shark attack cases on La Réunion Island (PDF Download Available)|journal=Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery|volume=82|issue=5|pages=952–955|language=en|access-date=23 July 2017|doi=10.1097/TA.0000000000001399|pmid=28248805|year=2017|last1=Ballas|first1=Richard|last2=Saetta|first2=Ghislain|last3=Peuchot|first3=Charline|last4=Elkienbaum|first4=Philippe|last5=Poinsot|first5=Emmanuelle|s2cid=21996541}}</ref> Boa Viagem in Brazil, Makena Beach in Maui, Hawaii, and Second Beach, Port St. Johns, South Africa.<ref name="Deadliestbeaches">{{cite web|title=The World's 10 Deadliest Shark Attack Beaches|url=http://www.theinertia.com/surf/10-shark-attack-beaches/|website=The Inertia|date=22 September 2013 |access-date=25 April 2017}}</ref> South Africa has a high number of shark attacks along with a high fatality rate of 27 percent.<ref name="worldattack">{{cite web|url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/GAttack/World.htm |title=Map of World's Confirmed Unprovoked Shark Attacks |publisher=Flmnh.ufl.edu |date=6 January 2011 |access-date=25 November 2011}}</ref>

As of 28 June 1992,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sharkattackdata.com/gsaf/place/brazil |title=Shark Attack Data Brazil |publisher=Shark Attack Data |access-date=23 December 2017}}</ref> Recife in Brazil began officially registering shark attacks on its beaches (mainly on the beach of Boa Viagem). Over more than two decades, 64 victims were attacked, of whom 26 died. The last deadly attack occurred on 10 July 2021.<ref name="name">{{cite web |url=https://www.folhape.com.br/noticias/maioria-dos-incidentes-com-tubarao-em-pernambuco-ocorreu-no-mes-de/191672/ |title=Maioria dos incidentes com tubarão em Pernambuco ocorreu no mês de julho; |publisher=Folha de Pernambuco|date=27 July 2021 |access-date=2 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109190632/https://www.folhape.com.br/noticias/maioria-dos-incidentes-com-tubarao-em-pernambuco-ocorreu-no-mes-de/191672/ |archive-date=9 November 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> The attacks were caused by the bull shark and tiger shark species.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://visitarecife.com.br/ataques-de-tubarao-em-recife/ |title=Ataques de tubarão em Recife – Conheça a verdade e as causas desse fenômeno. |publisher=Visitar Recife |date=27 November 2015 |access-date=23 December 2017 |archive-date=8 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808122535/http://visitarecife.com.br/ataques-de-tubarao-em-recife/ }}</ref> The shark attacks in Recife have an unusually high fatality rate of about 37%. This is much higher than the worldwide shark attack fatality rate, which is currently about 16%, according to Florida State Museum of Natural History.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-radio-and-tv-19720455 |title=The beautiful Brazilian beaches plagued by shark attacks |publisher=BBC |date=27 September 2012 |access-date=23 December 2017}}</ref> Several factors have contributed to the unusually high attack and fatality rates, including pollution from sewage runoff<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-radio-and-tv-19720455 |title=The beautiful Brazilian beaches plagued by shark attacks |publisher=BBC |date=27 September 2012 |access-date=6 December 2019}}</ref> and a (now closed) local slaughterhouse.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2006-07-29-0607270889-story.html |title=SHARK WEEK! FLORIDA EXPERT WADES INTO SCARY BRAZIL WATERS |work=South Florida Sun-Sentinel |date=29 July 2006 |access-date=6 December 2019}}</ref>

The place with the most recorded shark attacks is New Smyrna Beach, Florida.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2008-04-18-shark-beaches-forbes_N.htm | work=USA Today | date=21 April 2008 | access-date=9 April 2010 | title=North America's top shark-attack beaches | first=Stephen | last=Regenold}}</ref> Developed nations such as the United States, Australia and, to some extent, South Africa, facilitate more thorough documentation of shark attacks on humans than developing coastal nations. The increased use of technology has enabled Australia and the United States to record more data than other nations, which could somewhat bias the results. In addition, individuals and institutions in South Africa, the United States, and Australia keep a file which is regularly updated by an entire research team, the International Shark Attack File, and the Australian Shark Attack File.

The Florida Museum of Natural History compares these statistics with the much higher rate of deaths from other causes. For example, an average of more than 38 people die annually from lightning strikes in coastal states, while less than 1 person per year is killed by a shark in Florida.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/attacks/relarisk.htm |title=The Relative Risk of Shark Attacks to Humans |publisher=Flmnh.ufl.edu |access-date=23 September 2010}}</ref><ref>Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. [http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/attacks/2004lightning.html A Comparison with the Number of Lightning Fatalities in Coastal United States: 1959–2006]</ref> In the United States, the likelihood that a person who goes to beaches will be attacked by a shark is 1 in 11.5 million, and a person's chance of getting killed by a shark is less than 1 in 264.1 million.

However, in certain situations the risk of a shark attack is higher. For example, in the southwest of Western Australia the chances of a surfer being fatally bitten by a shark in winter or spring are 1 in 40,000 and for divers it is 1 in 16,000.<ref name="Spri" /><ref name="whalemig" /> In comparison to the risk of a serious or fatal cycling accident, this represents three times the risk for a surfer and seven times the risk for a diver.<ref name="Spri" />

In comparison to previous years, ISAF reported a total of 57 unprovoked shark bites worldwide in 2022, which is lower than the past five-year average of 70 incidents annually. There were also 32 provoked bites, 4 boat bites, and a few other incidents classified differently, totaling 108 cases investigated by ISAF in 2022. This reflects a decrease in both fatal and non-fatal shark bites.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yearly Worldwide Shark Attack Summary |url=https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/yearly-worldwide-summary/ |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=International Shark Attack File |language=en-US}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:auto; float:right; clear:right; margin:0 0 0.5em 1em; text-align:right; font-size: 85%;" |+ style="background:#66a; color:#fff;" colspan="4"| Confirmed unprovoked shark attacks, 1958–2023 |- ! Region ! Total attacks ! Fatal attacks ! Last fatality |- | style="text-align:left" | '''United States'''{{efn|Excluding Hawaii}}||1106||37||2021 |- | style="text-align:left" | '''Australia'''||647||261||2025<ref name=australia>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c36037251gpo/ |title=Teenage girl killed in shark attack in Australia |access-date=3 Feb 2025 |work=BBC News|date=3 Feb 2025 }}</ref> |- | style="text-align:left" | '''Africa'''||347||95||2023 |- | style="text-align:left" | '''Asia'''||129||48||2000 |- | style="text-align:left" | '''Hawaii'''||137<ref name=hawaii>{{cite web |url=https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/sharks/shark-incidents/incidents-list/ |title=Incidents List |access-date=27 May 2019 |work=Government of Hawaii|date=18 June 2014 }}</ref>||11<ref name="hawaii" />||2024<ref>{{cite news |url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/05/26/hawaii-shark-attack-kills-california-man-1st-fatality-2015/1247236001/ |title=California man, 65, swimming off Maui killed in Hawaii's first fatal shark attack since 2015 |first=Kristin |last=Lam |date=27 May 2019 |access-date=27 May 2019 |newspaper=USA Today |publisher=Gannett |editor=The Associated Press |editor-link=The Associated Press}}</ref> |- | style="text-align:left" | '''Pacific Islands / Oceania '''{{efn|Excluding Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand}}||129||50||2023 |- | style="text-align:left" | '''South America'''||117||26||2018<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.menshealth.com/trending-news/a21071724/teen-dies-after-losing-leg-and-penis-in-shark-attack/ |title = A Teen Died After Losing His Leg and Penis in a Horrific Shark Attack|date = 4 June 2018}}</ref> |- | style="text-align:left" | '''Antilles''' and '''Bahamas'''||71||17||2023 |- | style="text-align:left" | '''Middle America'''||56||27||2011 |- | style="text-align:left" | '''Europe'''||52<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/maps/europe/ |title=Confirmed Unprovoked Shark Attacks (1847–Present). Europe |access-date=27 May 2019 |work=Florida Museum of Natural History|date=24 January 2018 }}</ref>||27||1989 |- | style="text-align:left" | '''New Zealand'''||50||10||2021 |- | style="text-align:left" | '''Réunion Island'''||39||19||2019<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bfmtv.com/police-justice/reunion-mort-d-un-surfeur-apres-une-attaque-de-requin-1688603.html|title=Un surfeur tué après une attaque de requin à La Réunion|date=9 May 2019|newspaper=BFMTV}}</ref> |- | style="text-align:left" | '''Unspecified / Open ocean'''||21||7||1995 |- | style="text-align:left" | '''Bermuda'''||3||0|| — |- class="sortbottom" ! style="background:#ddf; text-align:center;"| Total: ! style="background:#ddf; text-align:right;"| 2900 ! style="background:#ddf; text-align:right;"| 633 ! style="background:#ddf; text-align:right;"| 2023 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:left" colspan="4" | Sources: [http://www.sharkattackdata.com/country-overview/australia Shark Attack Data Australia] [https://web.archive.org/web/20180903024600/https://taronga.org.au/animals-conservation/conservation-science/australian-shark-attack-file/latest-figures Australian Shark Attack File] for unprovoked attacks in Australia [http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/GAttack/World.htm International Shark Attack File] for unprovoked attacks in all other regions {{center|Last Updated: 9 February 2023}} |}

== Species involved in incidents == [[File:Snorkeler with blacktip reef shark.jpg|thumb|300px|left|A blacktip reef shark. In rare circumstances such as poor visibility, blacktips may bite humans, mistaking them for prey. Under normal conditions, however, they are harmless and often even quite shy.]] Only a few shark species are dangerous to humans. Out of more than 480 shark species, only three are responsible for two-digit numbers of fatal unprovoked attacks on humans: the great white, tiger and bull.<ref name="isaf" /> However, the oceanic whitetip has probably killed many more ship wreck and plane crash survivors, who have not been included in the statistics.<ref name="howstuffdangerous4">{{cite web |last=Edmonds |first=Molly |date=5 June 2008 |title=HowStuffWorks "Dangerous Shark 4: Oceanic Whitetip Shark" |url=http://animals.howstuffworks.com/fish/most-dangerous-shark2.htm |access-date=23 September 2010 |publisher=Animals.howstuffworks.com}}</ref> These sharks, being large and powerful predators, may sometimes attack and kill people, even though all have been filmed in open water by unprotected divers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051231/NEWS11/512310330/1001/NEWS |title=Hawaiian newspaper article |publisher=Honoluluadvertiser.com |access-date=23 September 2010 |archive-date=21 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221224951/http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051231/NEWS11/512310330/1001/NEWS |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>The 1992 Cageless shark-diving expedition by Ron and Valerie Taylor.</ref> The 2009 French film ''Oceans'' shows footage of humans swimming next to sharks in the ocean. It is possible that the sharks can sense the presence of unnatural elements on or about the divers, such as polyurethane diving suits and air tanks, which may lead them to accept the divers as more of a curiosity than prey. Uncostumed humans, however, such as those surfboarding, light snorkeling or swimming, present a much greater area of exposed skin surface to sharks. In addition, the presence of even small traces of blood, recent minor abrasions, cuts, scrapes, or bruises, may lead sharks to attack a human in their environment. Sharks seek out prey through electroreception, sensing the electric fields that are generated by all animals due to the activity of their nerves and muscles.

Most of the oceanic whitetip shark's attacks have not been recorded,<ref name="howstuffdangerous4" /> unlike the other three species mentioned above. Famed oceanographic researcher Jacques Cousteau described the oceanic whitetip as "the most dangerous of all sharks".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Cousteau |first1=Jacques-Yves |last2=Cousteau |first2=Philippe |name-list-style=amp |title=The Shark: Splendid Savage of the Sea|publisher= Doubleday & Company, Inc|year=1970}}</ref> [[File:Watsonandtheshark-original.jpg|thumb|''Watson and the Shark'' by J.S. Copley, based on the attack on Brook Watson in Havana Harbor in 1749]] Modern-day statistics show the oceanic whitetip shark as seldom being involved in unprovoked attacks. However, there have been a number of attacks involving this species, particularly during World War I and World War II. The oceanic whitetip lives in the open sea and rarely shows up near coasts, where most recorded incidents occur. During the world wars, many ship and aircraft disasters happened in the open ocean, and because of its former abundance, the oceanic whitetip was often the first species on site when such a disaster happened.

Infamous examples of oceanic whitetip attacks include the sinking of the ''Nova Scotia'', a British steamship carrying 1,000 people that was torpedoed by a German submarine on 18 November 1942, near South Africa. Only 192 people survived, with many deaths attributed to the oceanic whitetip shark.<ref>Bass, A.J., J.D. D'Aubrey & N. Kistnasamy. 1973. "Sharks of the east coast of southern Africa. 1. The genus Carcharhinus (Carcharhinidae)." Invest. Rep. Oceanogr. Res. Inst., Durban, no. 33, 168 pp.</ref> The same species is believed to have been responsible for many of the 600–800 or more casualties following the torpedoing of the USS ''Indianapolis'' on 30 July 1945.<ref>{{cite web|last=Martin|first=R. Aidan|title=Elasmo Research|publisher=ReefQuest|access-date=6 February 2006|url=http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/shark_profiles/carcharhinidae.htm}}</ref>

Black December refers to at least nine shark attacks on humans, causing six deaths, that occurred along the coast of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, from 18 December 1957 to 5 April 1958.<ref name="NatGeo">{{cite web|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/06/0603_020604_shark2.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020605020124/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/06/0603_020604_shark2.html|archive-date=5 June 2002|title=South Africa Rethinks Use of Shark Nets|access-date=22 April 2017}}</ref>

In addition to the four species responsible for a significant number of fatal attacks on humans, a number of other species have attacked humans without being provoked, and have on extremely rare occasions been responsible for a human death. This group includes the shortfin mako, hammerhead, Galapagos, grey reef, blacktip, lemon, silky shark, and blue sharks.<ref name="isaf" /> These sharks are also large, powerful predators which can be provoked simply by being in the water at the wrong time and place, but they are normally considered less dangerous to humans than the previous group.

On the evening of 16 March 2009, a new addition was made to the list of sharks known to have attacked human beings. In a painful but not directly life-threatening incident, a long-distance swimmer crossing the Alenuihaha Channel between the islands of Hawaiʻi and Maui was attacked by a cookiecutter shark. The two bites were delivered about 15 seconds apart.<ref>University of Florida News [https://web.archive.org/web/20110813084241/http://news.ufl.edu/2011/06/30/cookiecutter-shark/ New study documents first cookiecutter shark attack on a live human]</ref>

<gallery class="center" caption="The three most commonly involved sharks"> File:White shark.jpg|The great white shark is involved in the most fatal unprovoked attacks<ref name="GSAF-sppStats" /> File:Scarface-tigershark.jpg|The tiger shark ranks as the second most fatal in unprovoked attacks<ref name="GSAF-sppStats">{{cite web |url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/species3.htm |title=ISAF Statistics on Attacking Species of Shark |publisher=Global Shark Attack File |date=9 May 2020 |access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref> File:Bullshark.JPG|The bull shark ranks as the third most fatal in unprovoked attacks<ref name="GSAF-sppStats" /> </gallery>

== Media impact == The Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916 killed four people in the first two weeks of July 1916 along the New Jersey shore and Matawan Creek in New Jersey. They are generally credited as the beginning of media attention on shark attacks in the United States of America.<ref>{{Cite web|title = 2 Weeks, 4 Deaths, and the Beginning of America's Fear of Sharks|url = http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/150702-shark-attack-jersey-shore-1916-great-white|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150703224631/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/150702-shark-attack-jersey-shore-1916-great-white/|archive-date = 3 July 2015|website = National Geographic News|access-date = 28 July 2015|first1 = Matt|last1 = McCall| date=July 2, 2015}}</ref> thumb|The film ''Jaws'' gave viewers an unrealistic view of shark attacks Media portrayals such as the 1975 film ''Jaws'' were the cause of large-scale hunting and killing of thousands of sharks.<ref name="Jaws">{{cite web|last=Choi|first=Charles Q.|title=How 'Jaws' Forever Changed Our View of Great White Sharks|url=http://m.livescience.com/8309-jaws-changed-view-great-white-sharks.html|work=Web|date=20 June 2010 |publisher=Live Science|access-date=29 August 2013|archive-date=24 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424134713/http://m.livescience.com/8309-jaws-changed-view-great-white-sharks.html}}</ref> ''Jaws'' had a significant impact on people and gave them an unrealistic view of sharks, causing them to fear them more than they probably should. The media has continued to exploit this fear by sensationalizing attacks and portraying sharks as vicious man-eaters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/9471/|title=Before and after Jaws: Changing representations of shark attacks|last=Beryl|first=Francis|date=2011|website=researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au|access-date=6 December 2017}}</ref>

After three shark attacks on Americans in July 2001, news media in the United States were accused of giving excessive focus to reports of shark attacks, to increase readership and ratings. The period became known as the Summer of the Shark.

In 2010 nine Australian survivors of shark attacks banded together to promote a more positive view of sharks. The survivors made particular note of the role of the media in distorting the fear of sharks.<ref>[http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2010/09/shark-attack-survivors-unite-to-save-sharks/Shark attack survivors unite to save sharks], Australian Geographic, 14 September 2010</ref> There are some television shows, such as ''Shark Week'', that are dedicated to the preservation of these animals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/shark-week/ |title=Shark Week: Discovery Channel |publisher=Dsc.discovery.com |access-date=17 August 2012}}</ref> They demonstrate, through scientific studies, that sharks are not interested in attacking humans and generally mistake humans as prey. A 2013 paper by Robert Hueter and Christopher Neff analyzed how shark attacks were covered in the Australian press. They found that 38% of reported "shark attacks" the shark did not touch the human. It simply swam near a human. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Shiffman |first=Dr David |date=2022-05-25 |title=How the Media Stokes Needless Fears About Sharks • The Revelator |url=https://therevelator.org/media-sharks-shiffman/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=The Revelator |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Notable shark attacks and victims == *Tsukumo No. 24 ca. 1200 BC, world's oldest documented shark attack victim<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.shh.mpg.de/2013058/hudson-shark-attack | title=World's Earliest Shark Attack Victim Identified in Japan }}</ref> *George Coulthard (1856–1883), Australian cricketer and Australian rules footballer *Rodney Fox (b. 1940), Australian filmmaker and conservationist<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2008/03/28/dangerous-shores-for-jaws/ |title=Dangerous shores for Jaws |access-date=10 December 2016 |date=28 March 2008 |work=The Olive Press |publisher=Luke Stewart Media SL}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.caycompass.com/cgi-bin/CFPnews.cgi?ID=1019682 |title=ISDHF looks to permanent home |first=Cliodhna |last=McGowan |date=1 February 2007 |access-date=20 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716192017/http://www.caycompass.com/cgi-bin/CFPnews.cgi?ID=1019682 |archive-date=16 July 2007 |work=Caycom Pass}}</ref> *Bethany Hamilton (b. 1990), American surfer *Mathieu Schiller (1979–2011), French body-boarder *Brook Watson (1735–1807), British soldier and Lord Mayor of London *Mick Fanning (b. 1981), Australian professional surfer<ref>{{cite web |last1=Haro |first1=Alexander |title=Mick Fanning Was Definitely Attacked by a Shark |url=https://www.theinertia.com/surf/mick-fanning-was-definitely-attacked-by-a-shark/ |website=the inertia |date=24 July 2015 |access-date=20 August 2024}}</ref> *USS ''Indianapolis'' July–August 1945 *NOAAS ''Discoverer'' (R 102) March 23, 1994 *Tamayo Perry (1975–2024), American professional surfer

==Notes== {{Reflist |group="nb"}} {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

== Further reading == *{{Cite news |first=Victoria |last=Kim |date=2025-08-05 |title=Bite Club: The Fraternity That Awaits You After a Shark Attack |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/05/world/australia/shark-attack-bite-club.html |access-date=2025-08-14 |language=en}}

== External links == {{Commons category|Shark attacks}} {{Medical resources | ICD10 = | ICD9 = | ICDO = | OMIM = | DiseasesDB = | MedlinePlus = | eMedicineSubj = | eMedicineTopic = | MeshID = | GeneReviewsNBK = | GeneReviewsName = | NORD = | GARDNum = | GARDName = | Orphanet = | AO = | RP = | WO = | OrthoInfo = | NCI = | Scholia = | SNOMED CT = }} * [http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/ISAF/ISAF.htm International Shark Attack File] * [http://www.sharkattackfile.net/ Global Shark Attack File] — Open database * [https://www.trackingsharks.com/ Tracking Sharks] — Current Shark Attack Statistics * [http://www.sharkattacksurvivors.com/ Shark Attack Survivors] — Shark attack education and prevention

* Category:Causes of amputation