Each year, unsuspecting divers, surfers and swimmers suffer shark bites – with some unfortunately not surviving to tell the tale.
We’ve ranked the top 20 of the 500+ shark species, counting down to the ‘big three’, whose victims number in the hundreds. The sharks have been ranked by the total number of confirmed human attacks, how generally aggressive the species is and the likelihood of an encounter.
Click through to discover the world’s deadliest sharks (and where you can find them)…
We start with the Caribbean reef shark, the most commonly encountered shark in the Caribbean. The International Shark Attack File (ISAF), a database of confirmed attacks, lists a total of four incidents since records began. Victims are likely to experience lacerations from being 'raked' by its sharp teeth.
Human encounters with the Caribbean reef shark are common, due to the popularity of ecotourism and diving trips. As well as the Caribbean, this endangered species can be found in coastal and reef habitats from North Carolina to southern Brazil.
Bottom-feeding sandbar sharks live in shallow coastal waters, preying on eels, fish, crabs and rays. Sandbars are not aggressive but are considered potentially dangerous due to their size – they can grow to 7.5 feet (2.3m). Five non-fatal incidents involving a sandbar shark have been confirmed.
One incident in Maryland, USA in 2021 resulted in a 12-year-old girl needing 42 stitches. Sandbars can be found globally in temperate and tropical waters, with a particularly sizeable population in the western Atlantic.
Named for its number of gills, the sevengill shark is part of the cow shark family. These opportunistic predators eat a wide diet, including other sharks, rays and marine mammals. The ISAF database notes five non-fatal attacks involving this species.
Sevengills are aggressive when provoked and are considered potentially dangerous to humans. They also live in shallow coastal waters, making human interactions more likely. This species is found worldwide, including the eastern and western Pacific and southern Atlantic oceans.
Next, the distinctive and powerful nurse shark. Its scientific name – ginglymostoma cirratum – means ‘curled, hinged mouth’ and that mouth is filled with serrated teeth capable of causing injury. Generally docile, they will unleash a defensive bite if they feel threatened. There have been nine confirmed non-fatal attacks.
Slow-moving and bottom-dwelling, the nurse shark can grow to 14 feet (4.3m) and has strong jaws that can bite into shellfish and coral. They live in the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans.
Lemon sharks are considered one of the friendlier species – but don’t be fooled by the grin. While lemon sharks rarely attack humans, they can become aggressive when provoked or threatened. A total of 10 incidents have been recorded, none of which were fatal.
However, they are a large, predatory species and human encounters in coastal waters are common, so caution is advised. Lemon sharks live in various locations, including the Caribbean, western Atlantic, West Africa and the Gulf of California.
Abundant in number, Galapagos sharks are indiscriminate eaters, consuming everything from fish and seals to marine iguanas. According to the ISAF database, there has been one fatal and one non-fatal incident involving a Galapagos shark. But the real number is thought to be higher, given the frequency of human interactions and the shark’s inquisitive nature.
Victims are also often unable to identify the type of shark which attacked them, making accurate record keeping difficult. Galapagos sharks are found in the Atlantic Ocean and western Indian Ocean – mostly around islands.
The recognisable blacktip reef shark patrols shallow tropical waters, often with its fin visible above the surface. It feeds on reef fishes and crustaceans. There have been 14 confirmed non-fatal attacks by blacktip reef sharks – mostly bites inflicted on people swimming or wading.
Human interaction with blacktip reef sharks is common, partly due to the popularity of dive tourism. The species is found on coral reefs throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific and is one of the most common types of reef shark in the Pacific Ocean islands.
The slender spinner shark gets its name from how it moves, spinning through schools of bait fish to feed. It can even breach the water, spinning 20 feet (6m) in the air. There have been 16 unprovoked incidents involving spinner sharks.
However, spinner shark bites on humans tend to be relatively minor as their mouths are adapted to clamp on to small prey. The species is found in the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean and Red seas.
The grey reef shark is a type of requiem shark, a group which includes over 50 species with shared characteristics, including their torpedo-shaped bodies. Nine grey reef shark attacks have been recorded – one of which was fatal.
This species is considered one of the more aggressive types of shark but generally will only attack when threatened, delivering a defensive bite. Grey reef sharks are found on the coral reefs of the Indian Ocean and central and western Pacific, including the Great Barrier Reef.
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Large and slow-moving, the sand tiger shark – also known as the grey nurse – certainly looks fearsome. They can become aggressive if provoked. According to the ISAF database, there have been 36 known attacks with no fatalities.
Uniquely, sand tiger sharks gulp air at the surface and store it in their stomachs, allowing them to float in the water waiting for prey. The species lives in temperate and subtropical coastal waters off South Africa, Australia, Japan and the eastern US.
Certainly among the most striking of the ocean dwellers, the hammerhead group of sharks includes the great hammerhead (pictured). The ISAF database has recorded 18 unprovoked non-fatal attacks across the species.
They use their flat, extended head to pin down their meal of choice – stingrays. Having eyes on each side of their head also gives them a wide range of vision. Hammerheads are found worldwide in warm waters, including the Florida Keys, Caribbean, West Africa and Indo-Pacific.
Wobbegongs (or carpet sharks) are a family of 12 species – pictured is the tasselled wobbegong, whose name means ‘shaggy beard’ in the Australian Aboriginal language. Wobbegongs have been responsible for 31 non-fatal human attacks.
They can become aggressive and are so good at hiding on the seabed that they are easily stepped on. Divers can also stray too close and get mistaken for prey. Wobbegongs are found in shallow temperate and tropical waters, mainly around Australia and Indonesia.
Also known as a copper shark or narrowtooth shark, the bronze whaler is a type of requiem shark. They eat a wide variety of marine life and can become aggressive when feeding. Bronze whalers have been responsible for 16 known attacks on humans, one of which was fatal.
They live in temperate waters worldwide in locations including South Africa, New Zealand, southern Australia and South America. However, their population is decreasing – even though females can give birth to litters of up to 24 pups.
The world’s fastest shark, the shortfin mako can whip through the water at up to 43 miles per hour (70km/h). This allows it to catch fast-moving prey, such as swordfish, tuna and other sharks. The shortfin mako has been responsible for 10 known human attacks, one of which was fatal.
They can leap up to 20 feet (6m) out of the water and lunge at their prey with those razor-sharp teeth. The species lives in temperate and tropical seas worldwide, including along the Atlantic coast.
Stocky and fast-moving, the blacktip shark gets its name from its distinctive colouring – like its reef-dwelling counterpart. They forage in shallower waters, so human encounters are likely. There have been 35 recorded attacks, mostly due to a blacktip confusing a human arm or leg for its intended prey.
Blacktips are found in the western Atlantic, all the way from Massachusetts, USA to Brazil, as well as the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region. They are responsible for around 20% of shark attacks in Florida waters alone.
Swift and agile, blue sharks go after fast-moving prey like fish and smaller sharks. Shy by nature, they are skilled predators and can adapt to different conditions, making an encounter more likely. Blue sharks have been responsible for 13 recorded human attacks, with four fatalities.
They have also been known to approach divers and fishermen out of curiosity, while several of the documented attacks involved shipwrecked sailors. Blue sharks live in deep temperate and tropical oceans worldwide, including the north Atlantic.
Aggressive and opportunistic, the oceanic whitetip shark skims through the open ocean hunting its next meal. Human encounters are uncommon but there have been 15 confirmed human attacks, with three fatalities.
However, of the 900 crew members stranded after the 1945 sinking of the USS Indianapolis, up to 150 are believed to have died as a result of a shark attack, most likely from oceanic whitetips. They are found in tropical and subtropical oceans, with large populations in the Atlantic and Pacific.
The first of the so-called ‘big three’ is the formidable bull shark. These powerful, predatory sharks get their name from their appearance and their tendency to head-butt their prey. Aggressive and unpredictable, they have carried out 119 known attacks on humans, with 26 fatalities.
Bull sharks gather in high-population areas so are likely to come into contact with humans. They live in warm, shallow coastal waters. Interestingly, bull sharks have also been found in rivers – including the Mississippi and Amazon.
In the runner-up spot is the tiger shark. Efficient predators and scavengers, they use their serrated teeth and powerful jaws to eat… just about anything. They have been responsible for 142 recorded attacks on humans, 39 of which were fatal.
As with most sharks on the list, they don’t target humans, but they live in shallow coastal waters, so encounters are possible. Tiger sharks are found in tropical and subtropical seas – including the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Pacific islands and Hawaii.
Large, fast and with a powerful bite, at number one meet the fearsome great white shark. Attracting a notorious reputation following the 1975 film Jaws, the great white has the most recorded unprovoked human attacks at 351, including 59 fatalities.
Great whites mostly target marine mammals like seals and sea lions. They are found in oceans worldwide in temperate and tropical waters. Large populations live in Australia and South Africa, as well as America’s Atlantic coast, the Gulf of California and the Mediterranean.
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