So far this year, 12 shark attack bites have been reported in U.S. waters, with seven incidents occurring in Florida alone.
Why It Matters
Shark-bite incidents attract a lot of public attention because they occur across popular U.S. beach destinations and involve a range of activities, from snorkeling to surfing, but only a few hundred incidents are reported across the world each year. TrackingSharks reported 38 publicly verified shark-bite incidents worldwide as of July 30 this year, including eight fatal attacks globally, while the U.S. documented a dozen domestic cases by early August.
What To Know
Florida recorded seven of the reported U.S. shark-bite incidents in 2025, with cases spanning beaches from New Smyrna Beach to Hollywood, and injuries ranging from minor to serious; none were reported as fatal in the U.S. tally
South Carolina reported two bites in 2025, both at or near Sea Pines Beach on Hilton Head Island.
New York and North Carolina each recorded a single reported shark-bite event in 2025, with the New York case occurring off Jones Beach and the North Carolina case reported off Sunset Beach.
Hawaii reported one shark incident in 2025, described as provoked, that hospitalized a tour-boat employee on Oahu’s North Shore in January.
Trackers reported roughly 38 publicly verified shark-bite incidents worldwide as of July 30, 2025, including eight fatal attacks, but noted that annual totals typically reached about 100 reported bites when full-year data were tallied.
The International Shark Attack File (ISAF), maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History, recorded 71 shark-bite incidents worldwide for the full year 2024, illustrating year-to-year variability in totals and the difference between midyear counts and complete annual statistics.
Fatalities from shark bites remained rare relative to the number of incidents and the number of people who enter the ocean annually; trackers and ISAF data showed that most bites were non-fatal and often minor.
What People Are Saying
The TrackingSharks service said in a statement: “When you consider the vast number of people who live, work, and engage in water activities daily, the likelihood of a negative encounter with a shark is significantly low. It’s important to note that the majority of individuals will never encounter a shark in the wild. However, we sympathize with those who have lost their lives to shark attacks.
“To reduce the risk of shark attack bites, there are various preventive measures outlined on the Shark Attack Prevention page. Before entering the water, it is crucial to be aware of surf conditions and possess adequate swimming skills. Notably, more people succumb to drowning each year than experience shark bites.”
What Happens Next
The number of shark bites reported in the U.S. this year is likely to remain below 50.
The post Map Shows Where Shark Attacks Have Happened in the US So Far This Year appeared first on Newsweek.
