Shark Attacks in the United States
There have been 1,555 unprovoked shark attacks in the United States since 1837. An unprovoked attack is one that occurs in the sharks natural habitat without any human provocation. Provoked attacks occur when a human initiates some type of interaction with the shark.
Unprovoked Shark Attacks in the United States since 1837
Of those 1,555 attacks, 471 of them took place within the last ten years. The state of Florida is responsible for 259 of the 471 attacks. That is 55% of the total attacks in the United States since 2012.
Total Shark Bites in the United States since 2012
United States Leads World in Unprovoked Shark Attacks 2021
Florida Leads United States in Unprovoked Shark Attacks
2021
The United States is responsible for 64% of the total unprovoked shark attacks worldwide in 2021. This is an increase from 2020, when 58% of worldwide attacks occurred in the United States.
Florida is responsible for 60% of unprovoked shark attacks in the United States in 2021. Volusia County, Florida was responsible for 17 shark attacks, representing 61% of the state's total.
There were 39 provoked shark attacks in the U.S. in 2021. These are instances like attacks on spearfishers, attacks on people attempting to touch or feed sharks, or attacks while unhooking a shark from fishing gear.
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Victim Activity During Time of Attack
2021
