Shark attacks rose in 2025, and the only U.S. death was in California
Shark attacks have returned to near-average levels in 2025 after a decline the previous year, according to the latest report from the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File, released Wednesday.
Researchers recorded 65 unprovoked shark bites worldwide last year; That number is slightly below the 10-year average of 72, but an increase from 2024. Nine of those bites were fatal, higher than the 10-year average of six deaths.
The United States once again had the most reported incidents, accounting for 38% of global unprovoked bites when evaluated by country. However, there is actually a decrease from recent years, including 2024, when more than half of reported bites worldwide occurred off U.S. coasts.
In 2025, Florida led all states with 11 recorded attacks. California, Hawaii, Texas, and North Carolina were responsible for the remaining US events.
But California stood out in another way: It had the nation’s only unprovoked fatal shark attack in 2025.
The 55-year-old triathlete was attacked by a white shark after entering the water off Monterey Bay with members of the open ocean swimming club he founded. This was the only fatality in the United States among 25 shark bites reported nationwide.
Steve Midway, an associate professor of fisheries at Louisiana State University, said it’s no surprise that the only shark-related death in the U.S. occurred in California. “In California, you tend to get less attacks from year to year compared to other places in the U.S. and around the world,” Midway said. “But you tend to experience more serious attacks, a higher rate of fatal attacks.”
Midway said the difference lies in genre and geography. Along the East Coast, especially in Florida, most bites from smaller coastal sharks that live in shallow waters are more likely to cause non-fatal injuries. California’s deeper, colder waters are home to larger species such as the great white shark.
“Great whites are getting bigger,” Midway said. “You are less likely to be attacked, but if you do, the consequences will be worse.”
Whether measured over 10, 20, or 30 years, average annual shark bite totals around the world are actually fairly stable.
“Global patterns change very little from one year to the next,” said Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Shark Research Program.
Researchers say these annual fluctuations are influenced by a combination of shark biology, ocean conditions, and the number of people in the water at any given time.
At the same time, global shark populations remain well below historic levels. Naylor classifies about 30% of shark species as endangered, largely due to overfishing. In some countries, including the United States and Australia, stronger protections have allowed some shark populations to recover.
However, the risk of being bitten by a shark is extremely low. The report states: drowning is a much more common cause of death worldwide – and if it helps you sleep (or swim), the data shows: The probability of dying from a lightning strike is much higher than next to a shark
