Cuba, with its pristine beaches and thriving marine life, has always been a magnet for tourists seeking the quintessential Caribbean experience. However, recent incidents related to shark attacks have raised concerns among both locals and travelers. While these encounters remain rare, it’s essential to be informed. Our page provides the latest details of shark attacks in Cuba, updated weekly, on these events to ensure both safety and awareness. As we navigate the delicate balance between human interaction and preserving our ocean’s wonders, it becomes crucial to understand and respect the deep blue and its inhabitants.
Recent Shark Attacks in Cuba
| Date | Country / Area | Activity | Name | Sex / Age | Injury | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-25 | CUBA ,Playa Majana | Fishing | male | M /17 | Arm bitten | |
| 2019-12-04 | CUBA ,Guardalavaca Beach | Swimming | male | M /22 | FATAL | |
| 2017-11-04 | CUBA ,Guardalavaca Beach | Night bathing | Jesús Cabrera González | M /22 | FATAL | Tiger shark |
| 2009-01-25 | CUBA ,Guantanamo Bay | Spearfishing | John Emory | M /15 | Severe lacerations to lower left leg | Bull shark |
| 2005-01-20 | CUBA ,Uvero | Swimming | Hurdenis Jérez | M /19 | Left foot severed | 3 m [10'] shark |
| 2004-10-31 | CUBA ,Santa Lucia | Diving | male | M /40 | Left forearm bitten | 2.5 m [8.25'] bull shark |
| 2001-01-24 | CUBA ,Off Blau Costa Verde resort | Swimming | Mrs. Soile Hamalainen | F /55 | Left arm bitten | 2 m [6.75'] shark |
| 1957-06-21 | CUBA | M.V. Tropical sank. Sole survivor rode oil drums for 8 days without food or water. | No injury, no attack, sharks in vicinity when the sea was calm | Invalid | ||
| 1956-05-07 | CUBA | Free diving, working on U/W scenes for motion picture | Russ Shearman | M /30 | FATAL | |
| 1954-08-12 | CUBA ,Boqueron | Spearfishing | Dr. D.H. Teas | M | Knee bitten by shark that his dive buddy had shot PROVOKED INCIDENT | Nurse shark, 58", 34-lb |
| 1954-08-12 | CUBA ,Boqueron | Spearfishing | Dr. H. Warmke | M | Right thigh & left calf injured by speared shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | Nurse shark, 58", 34-lb |
| 1950-07-15 | CUBA | Swept off deck of S.S.Frontenac enroute from West Indies to US | Johan Loekstad, a Norwegian seaman | M /30 | Found at 21h30 by searchlight. Had been constantly harassed by sharks & had numerous lacerations | |
| 1948-12-14 | CUBA ,10 miles off Cape Maisi | 2 messboys (Jeppsen) & Tony Latona (13) were playing on the afterdeck of the Danish ship Grete Maersk. Jeppsen fell overboard, Latona threw a lifebelt then jumped in to help him. Ship didn’t notice they were missing | Bret Jeppsen | M /14 | 2 hours later shark bit Jeppsen’s feet, arm, knee & finally killed him. Tony, clothing torn but alive, washed ashore on Cuban coast | |
| 1942-03-08 | CUBA ,30 nm southeast of Guantanamo Bay | Esso Bolivar was torpedoed & shelled by the German submarine U-126 | A wounded member of Naval guncrew being towed by Charles Anderson toward a lifeboat & injured crew being towed by watertender Arthur Lauman | M | Of her crew of 50, eight perished, including the two injured men | |
| 1933-05-03 | CUBA ,Off Jaimanitas Yacht Club, Havana | Swimming to shore from capsized sailboat | Majin Alvarez Piedra | M | FATAL | |
| 1932-11-08 | CUBA | Hurricane & Tidal Wave | ||||
| 1931-08-31 | CUBA ,Vedado Baths, Miramar, Havana | Swimming | Manuel Romero | M /18 | FATAL (Wire netting installed at local beaches after this incident.) | |
| 1931-08-25 | CUBA ,Miramar subdivision, Havana | Swimming a quarter mile offshore | Pablo Medina | M /23 | FATAL, right leg bitten | |
| 1931-08-23 | CUBA ,Miramar, Havana | Swimming | Laureano Rodriguez | M | FATAL, "rescuers saw shark trying to drag him under by the leg" | |
| 1930-07-19 | CUBA ,LaPlaya Beach / Vedado, Havana | Swimming | Emilio Grenet | M /29 | Right arm & leg bitten, arm & leg surgically amputated | |
| 1929-11-21 | CUBA ,Cienfuegos | Fishing | Gamatano Yugoago | M | Shark attacked his boat, threatening to capsize it. He jumped overboard & shark bit his arm. He knifed & killed shark. Later his arm was surgically amputated | |
| 1923-01-14 | CUBA ,20 miles from Havana | seaplane Columbus ditched in the sea | Edwin F. Atkins, Jr. | M | Although this incident is listed elsewhere as a shark attack, the account of the disaster suggests the 4 who perished probably drowned. Five people survived | Atkins' remains were recovered from a dusky shark, C. obscurus, by Capt. W. F. Young, shark fisherman |
| 1921-07-21 | CUBA ,Havana Harbor | Fell overboard | Robert Ellis | M | FATAL | |
| 1913-12-26 | CUBA ,off Neuvitas | Gottlieb Schwertz | M | FATAL | ||
| 1903-10-04 | CUBA ,Havana Harbor | Fell overboard | a sailor | M | FATAL | |
| 1895-09-18 | CUBA ,Havana Harbor | Shipwreck | male | M | Probable drowning & scavenging | Questionable |
| 1893-05-17 | CUBA ,Havana Harbor | His balloon crashed in the harbor | Ramon Margulies, aeronaut | M | FATAL | |
| 1892-06-20 | CUBA ,Havana Harbor | Riding a horse | a mestizo | M | FATAL | |
| 1867-06-26 | CUBA ,Remedios | boat from ship Josephine capsized in squall | 2 crew clinging to floating barrels | M | FATAL | |
| 1861-09-25 | CUBA ,60 miles off Trinidad de Cuba | Deserting the bark Nazarene | Caughlin (A.K.A. James Dilano) | M | Lacerations | |
| 1846-08-20 | CUBA ,Havana Harbor | Bathing | male | M | Leg severed | |
| 1839-04-14 | CUBA ,Matanzas | Sitting on gunwale of boat | sailor | M | FATAL | "a large shark" |
| 1826-08-28 | CUBA | HBM Magpie foundered in a squall | Lieutenant Edward Smith | M | FATAL | |
| 1957 1957 | CUBA ,Cojimar | an infant | /2 | FATAL, but was it an accident or infanticide? | 3.7 m [12'] shark | |
| 1957 1957 | CUBA ,Cojimar | Fishing | boat, occupant: Portuondo | No injury to occupant, shark stuck boat | 3.7 m [12'] shark | |
| 1957 1957 | CUBA ,Havana | Fishing for sharks | William Bolster | M /18 | FATAL, became entangled in fishing line and pulled below the surface | |
| Before 1957 0000 | CUBA ,Cojimar | Shark fishing, knocked overboard | Sandrillio | M /50 | FATAL, hip bitten PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| Jan-2009 2009 | CUBA ,Guantanamo | Spearfishing | John | Lacerations to right calf | Bull shark | |
| Sep-1904 1904 | CUBA ,Havana Harbor | Lost his footing & fell overboard | Sailor from ship Mobile | M | FATAL, left leg severed below knee, right leg severed above knee by a second shark | |
| Aug-1904 1904 | CUBA ,Caibarien Harbor | Ship's boat capsized in squall, captain & 2 sailors clinging onto hull | 2 sailors | M | FATAL, shark pulled them off hull of boat | |
| 09 May-2023 2023 | CUBA ,Puerto Escondido | Spearfishing | Maro Alejandro Díaz Jiménez | M | FATAL | Bull shark |
| 1955 1955 | CUBA ,Cojimar | Fishing | Romilio | M | Forearm slashed wrist to elbow by hooked shark he was trying to club to death PROVOKED INCIDENT | "a little shark" |
| Jul-1898 1898 | CUBA ,Santiago de Cuba | Swimming | male | M | FATAL | |
| 1898 (soon after the close of the Spani | CUBA ,Off Santiago de Cuba | 13 men in the water after sailboat capsized & sank | seamen | M | FATAL, 7 survived but 6 were taken by sharks | |
| 1898 1898 | CUBA ,Nuevitas Harbor | Attempting to escape by swimming to shore | 5 American soldiers, prisoners | M | FATAL, 4 were killed by sharks, 1 survived | |
| Nov- or Dec-1873 1873 | CUBA ,Havana Harbor | Swimming / escaping imprisonment | Franz Mayer | M /27 | Legs severed bitten, later surgically amputated | |
| 1749 1749 | CUBA ,Havana Harbor | Swimming | Brook Watson | M /14 | Right leg severed at knee. In 1796 he became Lord Mayor of London. In 1778 he commissioned American artist, John Singleton Copley, to paint the incident: Watson and the Shark | |
| 1945 1945 | CUBA ,Cojimar | Playing on rock, slipped & fell into the water | boy | M | FATAL | |
| 1867 1867 | CUBA ,Matanzas | Painting a ship | male | M | FATAL, pulled off float by shark, body not recovered |
Has Cuba implemented any shark nets or barriers to protect swimmers?
No, Cuba has not implemented any shark nets or barriers to protect swimmers. Instead, the country relies on the rarity of shark encounters and promotes safe swimming practices to ensure the safety of both locals and tourists.
Does Cuba have measures in place to protect swimmers and divers from potential shark encounters?
Yes, many popular beaches in Cuba have monitoring systems, such as lifeguards or observation towers, to ensure swimmer safety. Additionally, some areas may have informational signs providing guidelines on safe water activities and tips on how to avoid unwanted shark interactions.
Where are the most sharks in Cuba?
In Cuba, one of the prime locations for shark sightings is Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen), a marine protected area to the south. This region is renowned for its healthy shark population and diverse marine life. Divers and marine enthusiasts often frequent this area specifically for its abundant shark encounters.
