Mexico, with its pristine beaches and bustling tourism, is a paradise for sun-seekers. However, the country’s enchanting seas also bring occasional encounters with its deep-dwelling residents: sharks. Our page provides updated weekly details on shark attacks in Mexico. While these incidents are rare, they offer a unique insight into the complex dance between nature and mankind. For travelers and locals alike, staying informed helps ensure safe and enjoyable experiences along Mexico’s beautiful coastlines.
Recent Shark Attacks in Mexico
| Date / Time | Country / Area | Activity | Name | Sex / Age | Injury | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03-17-2023 | MEXICO ,Quintana Roo | Swimming | Dillon Armijo | M /10 | Significant injury to leg | Authorities report injury caused bya barracuda |
| 01-05-2023 11h30 | MeXICO ,Gulf of California | Diving with surface-supplied air | Manuel Nieblas López | M /53 | Fatal | |
| 02-12-2022 10h00 | MEXICO ,Sonora | Surface Supplied Diving | Victor Estrella | M /56 | FATAL | 3m shark |
| 12-06-2021 | MEXICO ,Quintana Roo | Diving | David Rodríguez | M /14 | Lacerations | |
| 11-23-2019 15h00 | MEXICO ,Guerrero | Fishing | male | M | Lacerations to arm from hooked shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| 11-11-2019 | MEXICO ,Baja | Snorkeling | Kristoffer Nymann | M /23 | Bite to right forearm | |
| 07-06-2019 | MEXICO ,Quinta Roo | Fishing | Edgar Hernández, | M | Leg injured | |
| 03-21-2019 17h30 | MEXICO ,Guerrero | Swimming | Alex Wilton | M /32 | 20 cm gash to right leg | |
| 12-18-2018 11h00 | MEXICO ,Sonora | Diving | Nahum Verdugo Aguilera | M /35 | FATAL | Tiger shark |
| 06-04-2018 | MEXICO ,Colima | Free diving | Gustavo Ramos | M | Lacerations to leg & hand PROVOKED INCIDENT | Tiger shark, 3m |
| 07-07-2017 | MEXICO ,Tabasco | Fishing | Andres Ovando Rodriguez | M /32 | Hand bitten by hooked shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | Tiger shark, 100 kg |
| 05-05-2017 17h00 | MEXICO ,Baja California Sur | Snorkeling | Andres Rozada | M /33 | FATAL | |
| 03-07-2017 Morning | MEXICO ,Tamaulipas | Fishing | Daniel Vázquez López | M | Finger severed by 'dead shark' on boat's deck PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| 10-13-2016 | MEXICO | Cage Diving | Ming Chan | M | Shark breached cage, no injury to diver | White shark |
| 09-01-2016 | MEXICO | Cage Diving | No injury to divers, white shark breached cage | Invalid | ||
| 03-10-2015 10h20 | MEXICO ,Sinaloa | Fishing | David Villegas Mora | M /36 | Right hand bitten by hooked shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| 07-29-2013 11h00 | MEXICO ,Quintana Roo | Wading | Bonnie Davis | F | Hip bitten | |
| 04-24-2013 13h40 | MEXICO ,Quintana Roo | Swimming | Isabella Carchia | F /34 | Avulsion injury to lower right leg | Tiger shark |
| 11-22-2012 11h40 | MEXICO ,Sinaloa | Swimming | Fernando Cardenas Garcia | M /32 | FATAL | 2.5 m shark |
| 05-29-2012 09h00 | MEXICO ,Guerrero | Free diving / spearfishing | Benigno Medina Navarrete | M /46 | Left hand severed | Bull shark, 3m |
| 11-01-2011 | MEXICO ,Baja California | Shark diving | Patrick Walsh & Paul Damgaard | M | White shark breached cage. No injury to occupants | Invalid |
| 03-24-2011 | MEXICO ,Quintana Roo | Swimming | Liuba Taran | F | Lower leg & foot bitten | Bull shark |
| 03-21-2011 | MEXICO ,Quintana Roo | Swimming | Andrew Masternak | M /46 | Right foot bitten | |
| 02-04-2011 | MEXICO ,Colima | Shark fishing on the Ricardo Astorga | Porfirio Lugo Camacho | M | Left foot bitten PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| 01-31-2011 12h00 | MEXICO ,Quintana Roo | Swimming | Nicole Moore | F /38 | Leg, forearm & hand severely bitten | 6' shark |
| 01-28-2011 | MEXICO ,Colima | Shark fishing on the Don Agustín-VI. | C. Pedro Luis Beltrán Camargo | M /25 | Left eg bitten PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| 01-12-2011 | MEXICO ,Quintana Roo | Attempting to fix motor | Juan Miguel Infante Ramírez | M /37 | Bitten on leg and groin | |
| 07-26-2008 | MEXICO ,Cabo San Lucas | Swimming | Ryan Seacrest | M /33 | 3 puncture wounds to toe | 2' shark |
| 05-24-2008 Early morning | MEXICO ,Guerro | Surfing | Bruce Grimes | M /49 | Lacerations to right forearm and hand | 3 m shark |
| 05-23-2008 | MEXICO ,Guerro | Surfing | Osvaldo Mata Valdovinos | M /21 | FATAL | 2 m shark |
| 04-28-2008 Afternoon | MEXICO ,Guerro | Surfing | Adrian Ruiz | M /24 | FATAL Severe bite to right thigh | Tiger shark |
| 04-18-2008 Evening | MEXICO ,Quintana Roo | Swimming | Joram Galleros Villanueva | M /32 | Probable drowning with post-mortem bites | Reported by media as shark attack, but shark involvement prior to death was not confirmed |
| 06-20-2005 07h00 | MEXICO ,Baja California | Surfing | Frank Johnson | M | Left foot bitten | |
| 09-30-2001 Late morning | MEXICO ,Guerrero | Body surfing | Brian Lavelle | M /26 | Hand injured | Tiger shark, 1.8 m [6'] |
| 07-06-2001 Evening | MEXICO ,Baja California | Surfing | Tim Fabel | M /42 | Foot bitten | |
| 08-14-1997 | MEXICO ,Quintana Roo | SCUBA diving | Mike Jonatis | M /28 | FATAL | Shark involvement prior to death was not confirmed |
| 08-14-1997 | MEXICO ,Quintana Roo | SCUBA diving | Mac Lupold | M /33 | FATAL, arm & leg severed | Tiger shark, 5.2 m [17'] |
| 06-11-1993 19h30 | MEXICO ,Quintana Roo | Scuba diving | Mary Eggemeyer | F /42 | FATAL | |
| 05-01-1992 | MEXICO ,Mexico / Caribbean Sea | Scuba diving & filming | Nick Caloyianis | M | Fingers, hand & arm bitten | |
| 09-11-1984 17h50 | MEXICO ,Baja California | Spearfishing | Harry Ingram | M | No Injury, PROVOKED INCIDENT | 4.5 m to 5.5m white shark |
| 08-22-1980 | MEXICO | Diving in tuna net | Gerald Correria | M /22 | FATAL | |
| 04-01-1980 Early afternoon | MEXICO ,Sinaloa | Body surfing | Kim Giambalvo | F /13 | Right calf bitten | Tiger shark |
| 01-01-1977 14h30 | MEXICO ,Guerrero | Swimming | Mexican male | M | FATAL, left leg severed, neck cut | |
| 12-01-1973 Late afternoon | MEXICO ,Guerrero | Swimming alongside yacht Mexico Fiesta | American male | M /20 | FATAL | |
| 09-09-1973 16h45 | MEXICO ,Baja California | Free diving, Spearfishing | Al Schneppershoff | M /37 | FATAL, leg bitten | White shark |
| 04-04-1973 18h00 | MEXICO ,Guerrero | Wading | John P.R. Nicholls | M /45 | FATAL, multiple bites | |
| 02-27-1973 | MEXICO ,Guerrero | Swimming | Dr. Leo Ephraim Fischer | /57 | FATAL, multiple bites | |
| 12-25-1972 Afternoon | MEXICO ,Guerrero | Body surfing | Gerald Soukoff | M /17 | FATAL, hand severed, right leg and torso bitten | |
| 04-06-1971 11h00 | MEXICO ,Guerrero | Surfing | Jimmy Rowe | M /19 | FATAL, left thigh bitten | |
| 01-10-1970 | MEXICO ,Guerrero | Swimming | Jack Kardell | M /22 | Leg bitten | |
| 07-01-1968 Afternoon | MEXICO ,Baja California | Robert Slatzer | M /43 | No injury | Not authenticated | |
| 10-26-1967 | MEXICO ,Veracruz | Swimming | a youth | FATAL | ||
| 02-06-1967 14h00 | MEXICO ,Veracruz | The shrimper Loless Maurine capsized in heavy seas & the men were swimming ashore | Carlos Humberto Mendez & Esteban Robles | M | FATAL | |
| 09-08-1965 18h00 | MEXICO ,Veracruz | Miguel Salas Gonzalez | M /23 | Leg & arm bitten | 300-kg [662-lb] shark | |
| 07-26-1965 17h00 | MEXICO ,Veracruz | Bathing | Hector Serfio Trillio Jimenez | M /25 | FATAL, both legs severed | |
| 06-09-1965 14h00 | MEXICO ,Veracruz | Swimming | Father Miguel de Jesus Chavez, a Catholic priest | M /38 | Right forearm severed, right leg bitten and surgically amputated | |
| 05-29-1965 12h00 | MEXICO ,Veracruz | Swimming | Ignacio Millán | M | FATAL, left leg & right arm severed | |
| 05-28-1965 | MEXICO ,Veracruz | Swimming | Fidel Garcia Montero | M | FATAL, left arm & right leg severed | |
| 05-01-1965 | MEXICO ,Veracruz | Swimming | Father Jose de Jesus Gomez, a priest | M /35 | Right arm severed, right leg bitten, not known if he survived | |
| 08-23-1964 14h00 | MEXICO ,Guerrero | Floating on his back in an inner tube | Thad T. Moore | M /19 | Right thigh bitten | 1.8 to 2.4 m [6' to 8'] shark |
| 10-25-1962 08h30 | MEXICO ,Veracruz | Wading | Nicolas Jimenez Nunez, a Catholic priest | M /32 | FATAL, both legs bitten | 2.7 m [9'] shark |
| 09-22-1962 15h00 | MEXICO ,Veracruz | Swimming | Nestor Valenzuela | M /20 | Left arm severely bitten, surgically amputated | |
| 11-14-1961 | MEXICO ,Guerrrero | Bodies of hurricane victims bitten by shoals of sharks, post mortem scavenging | Shark involvement prior to death was not confirmed | |||
| 09-01-1959 | MEXICO ,Guerrrero | French woman | F | FATAL, leg severed, other leg lacerated | ||
| 07-01-1959 A.M. | MEXICO ,Quintana Roo | Wading | Lobster fishermen x 2 | M | FATAL, legs bitten | |
| 06-14-1959 | MEXICO ,Guyamas | Swimming ashore from capsized boat | Francisco R. Topete | M | FATAL | |
| 10-01-1958 | MEXICO ,Guerrrero | Slapped shark on tail as it swam by | male | M | Shark turned & severed his leg PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| 08-31-1958 07h15 | MEXICO ,Baja California | Boat stopped to repair electric pump | 16' cabin cruiser with 35 hp outboard motor | Shark tried to bite prop twice | Hammerhead shark, 5.2 m [17'] | |
| 07-31-1958 | MEXICO ,Guerrero | Swimming | Suzanne Dreufus | F | FATAL | |
| 01-01-1954 | MEXICO ,Baja California | Free diving | Rosario Bianci | M | FATAL |
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What measures are in place at popular beaches in Mexico to prevent shark attacks?
In Mexico, popular beaches have several measures in place to prevent shark attacks. These initiatives include shark spotting programs, the use of shark nets, and efficient public communication of potential threats, particularly at beaches like Cancun, Tulum, and Playa del Carmen. These strategies illustrate Mexico’s dedication to maintaining the safety of beachgoers while preserving the integrity of the marine ecosystem.
What factors contribute to the occurrence of shark attacks in Mexico?
In Mexico, several factors contribute to the occurrence of shark attacks. These include the presence of large populations of marine mammals that attract sharks, the high volume of tourists and swimmers in popular beach areas, and increased human activity in the water.
Are there specific times of the year when shark attacks are more frequent in Mexico?
In Mexico, shark encounters can happen at any time of the year; however, they tend to be slightly more frequent during the warmer months, from May to October, when both shark and human activity at the beaches increases. Despite this, it’s important to remember that shark attacks in Mexico are relatively infrequent, thanks to the proactive safety measures put in place by local authorities.
