White sharks most often frequent waters between 12ºC and 24ºC in their natural worldwide geographic distribution. The temperature of the water at the time of an attack is due mostly to the comfort level of humans who are in the water, i.e. there are more attacks in waters warmer than 14ºC (57ºF) because people tend to not go in the ocean at temperatures colder than that. For further information, see the Carcharodon carcharias biological profile.

Data current as of: January 28, 2008

© International Shark Attack File Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida