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International Shark Attack File

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Statistics of Shark Attacks on Divers


shark numbers

Last updated: February 15, 2012



shark length


The greatest percentage of attacks come from sharks that are between 5 and 11 feet in length. This is because the most common sharks in the waters where people dive are in this length range.
Last updated: February 15, 2012



SPECIES OF SHARKS IMPLICATED IN ATTACKS ON DIVERS (N=119)
Common Name Scientific Name Attacks (#) Attacks (%)
White Carcharodon carcharias 48 40
Tiger Galeocerdo cuvier 11 9
Blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus 9 8
Wobbegong Orectolobus sp. 8 7
Grey Reef Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos 6 5
Oceanic Whitetip Carcharhinus longimanus 5 4
Blue Prionace glauca 4 3
Bull Carcharhinus leucas 4 3
Sand Tiger Carcharias taurus 4 3
Nurse Ginglymostoma cirratum 3 3
Sandbar Carcharhinus plumbeus 3 3
Mako Isurus spp. 2 2
Porbeagle Lamna nasus 2 2
Broadnose Sevengill Notorhynchus cepedianus 2 2
Shortfin Mako Isurus oxyrinchus 2 2
Caribbean Reef Carcharhinus perezi 2 2
Bronze Whaler Carcharhinus brachyurus 1 1
Lemon Negaprion brevirostris 1 1
Leopard Triakis semifasciata 1 1
Tope Galeorhinus galeus 1 1



Positive identification of attacking sharks is very difficult since victims rarely make adequate observations of the attacker during the "heat" of the interaction. White and tiger sharks are easy to identify and therefore are more commonly reported than other species. This table is skewed for these two readily identified species.


Last updated: February 15, 2012

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