Florida’s coastline, known for its pristine beaches, draws countless tourists every year. But with the allure of the sea comes the reality of its inhabitants. Updated weekly, our page provides the latest on shark attacks in Florida. While these incidents can sometimes cast a shadow on our sunny shores, understanding the dynamics between humans and these magnificent sea creatures can help promote both safety and respect. Dive into the most recent information and learn how these interactions shape Florida’s ever-evolving relationship with its marine environment.
Recent Shark Attacks in Florida
| Date | Country / Area | Activity | Name | Sex / Age | Injury | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-01 | USA ,Horseshoe reef Key Largo | Snorkeling | Richard Burrows | M /8 | Bite to leg | Not stated |
| 2025-08-16 | USA ,Cayo Costa Boca Grande | Fishing | Shawn Meuse | M | Laceration to right leg below the knee | Lemon shark 1.8 m (6ft) |
| 2025-07-19 | USA ,Jupiter Inlet off Jupiter Beach Palm Beach County | Diving | Jeff Joel | M /69 | Lacerations to right forearm | Lemon shark |
| 2025-07-18 | USA ,New Smyrna Beach | Surfing | Sam Hollis | M /18 | Lacerations to left foot | Undetermined |
| 2025-07-06 | USA ,New Smyrna Beach | Surfing | Unknown Male | M /40 | Lacerations to right arm | Undetermined small shall shark |
| 2025-06-11 | USA ,Boca Grande | Snorkeling | Leah Lendel | F /9 | Right hand almost torn off | Bull shark |
| 2025-04-12 | USA ,Everglades National Park Flamingo Lodge Highway West Miami-Dade (Monroe County) | Undisclosed | Unknown Male | M | Injuries to right hand and arm | Not stated |
| 2024-10-25 | USA ,Bathtub Beach, Martin County | Surfing | Cole Taschman | M /27 | Both feet bitten | Bull or tiger 7-8ft |
| 2024-10-11 | USA ,Brevard County Orlando | Surfing | Teddy Witteman | M /16 | Bite to left arm | Bull shark 6ft |
| 2024-07-08 | USA ,Ponce de Leon Inlet Volusia County | Diving into Water | Dempsey Manhart | M /14 | Lower left leg injury | 4-5ft Blacktip shark |
| 2024-07-05 | USA ,New Smyrna Beach | Wading | Not stated | M /26 | Minor injury to left foot | Not specified |
| 2024-07-04 | USA ,New Smyrna Beach Beach Access 14 Volusia County | Swimming | Not released | M | Bite to left leg | 6ft shark |
| 2024-06-07 | USA ,Rosemary Beach Walton County | Wading | Lulu Gribbin | F /15 | Left hand bitten off and right leg bitten | Not specified Bull shark highly suspect |
| 2024-06-07 | USA ,Water Sound Beach Walton County | Swimming | Elisabeth Foley | F /45 | Significant injuries to pelvic and abdominal region lower left arm amputated | Not specified Bull shark highly suspect |
| 2023-06-23 | USA ,Cocoa Beach, Brevard County | Swimming | Magnolia Woodhead | F | Multiple puncture wounds to right thigh | |
| 2023-06-23 | USA ,Flamingo Marina, Homestead, Miami-Dade County | Fishing | Nick | M | Hand bitten | |
| 2023-05-18 | USA ,Marathon, Monroe County | Spearfishing | Kevin Blanco | M /20 | ||
| 2023-05-11 | USA ,Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County | Sitting | Ella Reed | F /13 | Multiple bites | Bull shark, 4' |
| 2023-05-05 | USA ,Davis Reef, Islamorada, Monroe County | Spearfishing | Ethan Wilder | M /22 | Injury to lower leg | |
| 2023-04-23 | USA ,Anna Maria Island, Manatee County | Spearfishing | Mike Stowe | M | Minor injury to lower right leg | Bull shark, 6' |
| 2023-04-11 | USA ,Virginia Key, Monroe County | Windsurfing | male | F /50 | Lacerations to leg | |
| 2023-04-09 | USA ,Off Boca Raton. Palm Beach County | Kayak fishing | Alex Duberti | M | No injury, kayak damaged | |
| 2023-03-25 | USA ,Blue Fish Channel, Key West, Monroe County | Kite-Surfing | Kevin Carlton Scott | M /67 | Lacertions to right calf | |
| 2023-02-19 | USA ,Jupiter Island, Martin County | Surfing | Bert Krebs | M /60 | Injury to lower leg | |
| 2023-01-01 | USA ,70 miles off Pensacola | Spearishing | Chad Petti | M /30 | Knocked spear out of his hands and fin bitten | Mako shark |
| 2022-11-27 | USA ,Hobe Sound | Swimming | Jasmine Carney | F /10 | Foot bitten | |
| 2022-11-03 | USA ,Cape San Blas, Gulf County | Fishing | male | M /29 | Right knee & thigh bitten by hooked shark | |
| 2022-10-10 | USA ,Key Largo, Monroe County | Fishing | Malec Mata | M /15 | Minor injury to leg by hooked shark | Juvenile nurse shark |
| 2022-09-22 | USA ,Marathon, Monroe County | Spearfishing | Zack Winegardner | M /26 | Severe injuries to right arm | Bu.ll |
| 2022-08-13 | USA ,Looe Key, Monroe County | Snorkeling | Jameson Reeder Jr, | M /10 | Lower left leg severely bitten, necessitating surgical amputation | Bull shark, 9' |
| 2022-07-27 | USA ,Florida Keys, Monroe County | Lobstering | Fischer Hricko | M /13 | Injury to upper lip | Nurse shark |
| 2022-07-25 | USA ,Daytona Beach, Volusia County | Wading | Bryan Oliveres | M /33 | Minor bite to left foot | Blacktip shark? |
| 2022-07-19 | USA ,Cape Canaveral, Brevard County | minor injuries | Shark involvement not confirmed | |||
| 2022-07-17 | USA ,Content Keys, Monroe County | Fishing | Brett Reeder | M | Fingrt bitten while releasing hooked shark PROVOKED INCUDEBT | Lemon shark 6' |
| 2022-07-16 | USA ,Daytona Beach Shores, Volusia County | Tasa Summers | F /40 | Minor lacerations to left calf | "A small shark" | |
| 2022-07-10 | USA ,New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County | Surfing | male | M /30 | Minor injury to foot | 6' shark |
| 2022-07-03 | USA ,New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County | Surfing | Pat Clark | M /28 | Foot bitten | |
| 2022-06-30 | USA ,Keaton Beach, | Scalloping | Addison Bethea | F /17 | Severe bites to leg | 9' shark |
| 2022-06-29 | USA ,Sawyer Key , Monroe County | Swimming | Lindsay Rebecca Bruns | F /35 | Laceration to leg | |
| 2022-06-29 | USA ,Summerland Key, Monroe County | Jumped into water | male | M | Laceration to leg | |
| 2022-06-23 | USA ,Redington Beach, Pinellas County | female | F | Leg bitten | ||
| 2022-04-17 | USA ,Whale Harbor, Islamorada, Monroe County | male | M /56 | Laceration to lower leg | ||
| 2022-04-11 | USA ,Higkand Beach, Palm Beach County | Standing | male | M | Bite near big toe | 4' shark |
| 2022-04-07 | USA ,Canaveral National Seashore | Kayaking | Shawn Veguilla, occupant | M | No injury to occupants. Kayak bitten | |
| 2022-03-31 | USA ,Lake Worth Beach, Palm Beach County | Fishing | male | M /50 | Knee bitten PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| 2022-03-13 | USA ,New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County | Surfing | male | M /20 | Bite to right foot | |
| 2022-03-09 | USA ,New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County | Fishing | male | M /21 | Minor injuries to knee and calf of left leg PROVOKED INCIDENT | Blacktip shark, 5' to 6' |
| 2022-02-11 | USA ,Cocoa Beach, Brevard County | Surfing | Gene Menchara-Lopez | M /18 | Puncture wounds to foot | |
| 2022-01-06 | USA ,Anna Maria Island, Manatee County | Wing Foil Surfing | Erika Lane | F /42 | Punctures to leg | Blacktip or spinner shark |
| 2021-12-22 | USA ,Anna Maria Island, Manatee County | Wing Foil Surfing | Erika Lane | F /42 | Punctures to leg | Blacktip or spinner shark |
| 2021-10-04 | USA ,Fort Pierce State Park, St. Lucie County | Surfing | Truman Van Patrick | M /25 | `Left foot bitten | |
| 2021-10-03 | USA ,Jensen Beach, Martin County | Swimming | male | M | Injury to lower left leg | |
| 2021-09-09 | USA ,Ponce Inlet, Volusia County | Surfing | Doyle Neilsen | M | Minor injury to right arm | |
| 2021-08-21 | USA ,Walton Beach Psrk, St. Lucie County | Surfing | Jeremy Carr | M /41 | Left ankle and foot bitten | Bull shark |
| 2021-08-07 | USA ,New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County | Surfing | male | M /35 | Minor cuts to right foot and ankle | |
| 2021-08-07 | USA ,Key Largo, Monroe County | Snorkeling | Lucas Cruz | M /15 | Lacerations to legs | |
| 2021-07-30 | USA ,Ponce Inlet, Volusia County | Fishing | male | M /47 | Hands bitten while attempting to unhook shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| 2021-07-21 | USA ,Near Patrick AFB, Brevard County | Katie Wood | F /35 | Small laceration to ankle, shark involvement not confirmed | ||
| 2021-07-15 | USA ,New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County | Boogie boarding | male | M /11 | Leg bitten | |
| 2021-07-10 | USA ,Bathtub Beach, Martin County | Playing | Amiya Lobb-Smith | F /9 | Right foot bitten | Spinner shark, 4'? |
| 2021-07-10 | USA ,46 miles off Mayport, Duval County | Spearfishing | Timothy Obi | M /36 | Shark involvement prior to death not confirmed | |
| 2021-07-04 | USA ,Ponce Inlet, Volusia County | Standing | male | M /8 | Puncture wound to calf | 2' to 3' shark |
| 2021-06-28 | USA ,Block Houe Beach, Brevard County | Surfing | Gretta Lowrey | F | Lacerations to thigh and calf | |
| 2021-06-18 | USA ,Bethune Beach, Volusia County | Standing | male | M /12 | Left arm bitten | |
| 2021-06-17 | USA ,Grayton Beach State Park, Walton County | Swimming | male | M /14 | "superficial injuries: | 7' to 8' shark |
| 2021-06-14 | USA ,New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County | Standing | Jai Villamilis | M /12 | Right calf bitten | |
| 2021-06-14 | USA ,New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County | Standing | male | M /71 | Minor injury to right foot | |
| 2021-05-06 | USA ,Daytona Beach Shores, Volusia County | Wading | female | F /21 | Nick on foot | |
| 2021-04-30 | USA ,New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County | Surfing | Adrienne Wisko | F /64 | Foot bitten | |
| 2021-04-29 | USA ,Vero Beach, Indian River County | Boggie boarding | male | M /54 | Right leg bitten |
Do sharks in Florida attack intentionally?
Sharks in Florida do not typically attack humans intentionally. Most incidents in Florida are cases of mistaken identity, where the shark confuses a human with its normal prey.
How does Florida’s marine ecosystem influence shark attacks?
Florida’s marine ecosystem directly influences shark attacks due to its diverse and abundant marine life, which attracts a large number of sharks. Moreover, the warm waters of Florida provide an ideal environment for various species of sharks, leading to a higher probability of encounters between humans and sharks.
Is there a specific color to avoid wearing while swimming in Florida to prevent shark attacks?
There’s no concrete scientific evidence that shows a specific color of swimwear increases the risk of shark attacks in Florida. Hence, while swimming in Florida’s waters, the color of your swimwear should not be a significant concern when it comes to shark interactions.
