February 12, 2025
New report documents low shark attacks and fatalities in USA and worldwide, 2025 heating up
Shark attacks gain a lot of press and social media attention, yet the occurrence of human- shark encounters are far less than commonly perceived. In fact, a recent summary of shark attacks by the University of Florida Natural History Museum‘s International Shark Attack File, global shark attacks, including those in US waters, have declined compared to previous years.
New Report Reveals Dramatic Annual Low
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File recently published their annual shark attack report on global shark attacks in 2024.
The data from 2024 showed a dramatic decline from attacks the year prior, and at 52 recorded provoked and unprovoked encounters, far below the ten year average of 70 globally. The 47 unprovoked attacks were down from 2023. Four of last year’s attacks resulted in fatalities, also a significant reduction from recent years.
In 2024, The ISAF reported a total of 24 provoked bites worldwide and three events where a shark attacked a vessel. The majority of the unprovoked shark bites were recorded in the USA, with 28, followed by Australia, with nine unprovoked encounters. On average, Florida suffers the highest number of shark encounters worldwide, but these declined significantly. In 2024, bites in Florida numbered 14, almost 1/3 lower than in 2023, and with no fatalities in 2024. Florida’s 14 cases represent 50% of the U.S. total and 30% of unprovoked bites worldwide.
Most of the incidents in Florida waters are suffered from blacktip shark sharks, sandbar sharks and the occasional more serious bull sharks: all species that frequent shallow, nearshore waters.
2024 Victim Activity at Time of Encounter (Source ISAF )
| Swimming/wading | 50% |
| Surfing/board sports | 34% |
| Snorkeling/free-diving | 8% |
| Other | 8% |
USA and Global Attacks 2025
As of Feb. 23, 2025 there have been 11 shark attacks in 2025 worldwide. (4 provoked and 5 fatal shark attacks) publicly reported and verified according to the website Tracking Sharks. The most recent incident occurred on the morning of February 17, at Turks -Caicos Islands.
In the incident, a Canadian tourist lost both hands to an estimated six foot shark at a beach on Providenciales, one of the territory’s eastern islands. After investigating the incident, a government spokesperson said that the tourist “had attempted to engage with the animal from the shallows in an attempt to take photographs.” The woman attempted to fend the shark away, when the shark bit both her hands. Fortunately, she was treated immediately and transported off-island for surgery and recovery.
This would be considered a provoked attack, since the victim was attracting the shark by waving her hands in the shallow water. The only shark attack in US waters in 2025 occurred in Hawaii, on Saturday, Jan. 11th,.
The only USA shark attack thus far in 2025 took place outside of Haleiwa on the north shore of Oahu, during a shark tour. The victim is an employee of the shark tour company, and was caught in a bait ball and the shark latched onto the forearm of the diver. His arm was saved and he has retained feeling, according to news sources. Since the shark was drawn to the waters by attractants to show tourists, this would also be considered a provoked attack. On average, Hawaii records 4 shark attacks/year, ranking third behind California and Florida in annual US shark attacks.
Earlier this year on February 11, two American tourists were injured in an apparent shark attack in the Bahamas. Two young woman jumped from the deck of a boat to swim. One suffered a bite on the calve and while attempting to board the boat, the second woman aiding her, was bitten in the foot. Both were treated for extensive, but non-fatal injuries possibly from the same shark. The victims did not see the shark when they leaped into the water, but their sudden appearance may have induced a defensive reaction from the shark.
Overall, unprovoked shark attacks are rare in the Bahamas, with just 34 recorded since 1580, according to the International Shark Attack File. This ranks the Caribbean country ninth among all tracked countries.
In 2025, activity in Australia has been unusually high. There have been 5 shark attacks in Australia in 2025 as of February 19. Two were provoked, and 3 fatal. With a long coastline and a high frequency of recreational ocean use and many remote areas overlapping with the range of great white sharks, Australia is ranked second globally in shark attacks. In 2024, Australia experienced 9 attacks with zero fatalities.
Behavior, Population Shifts or Climate Change?
Averaged over the last 20 years, the ISAF documented 67 bites with six fatalities on average. The decline in 2024 could be associated with several factors, including normal statistical variation. However, along the east coast of North America shifts in the Gulf Stream leads to a movement of sharks offshore, and northwards as certain species. Shifts in breeding locations and migratory range have been documented in Caribbean Blacktip sharks, a species commonly documented biting humans nearshore. Additionally, overfishing has led to a significant decline in populations of many large species like oceanic whitetip sharks that may be associated with a decline in human interactions. For example, species like the short fin Mako shark are now considered endangered in the Atlantic and prohibited from fishing in the USA. This species has high interactions with sports fishermen targeting the shark or billfish, and have led to provoked accidental bites on anglers.
Regulatory measures, such as the Hawaiian and Cayman Islands’ ban on feeding sharks, can minimize human-shark interactions and enhance public safety.