New Jersey, a popular tourist destination known for its picturesque beaches, often finds itself at the crossroads of marine life and human activity. Recent reports on shark attacks have sparked curiosity and concern among visitors and locals alike. This page provides the latest information on these shark attacks in New Jersey, updated weekly, to keep you informed. While such encounters can impact tourism, it’s essential to understand the broader context of human interaction with these magnificent creatures. Stay updated and stay safe.
Recent Shark Attacks in New Jersey
| Date | Country / Area | Activity | Name | Sex / Age | Injury | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-04-09 | USA ,Tutle Back Zoo | Feeding sharks & stingrays | female | F /12 | Finger nipped by captive shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | Epaulette shark![]() |
| 2019-05-20 | USA ,Ship Bottom, Ocean County | Body Boarding | Paul Sykes | M /67 | No injury | Shark involvement unconfirmed but considered probable |
| 2017-07-23 | USA ,Ventnor | Isabella Smith | F | Minor injury to hand | Sandtiger shark 2' | |
| 2013-11-07 | USA ,Bay Head, Ocean County | Body boarding | Quinn Gates | M /16 | No injury, swim fin bitten | |
| 2011-07-25 | USA ,Egg Harbor, Atlantic County | Wade Fishing | Eric Aubrey | M | No injury, shark bit boot | |
| 2009-12-05 | USA ,Adventure Aquarium, Camden | Diving | Robert Large | M /58 | Lacerations & puncture wounds to right calf & ankle when diver accidentally backed into the shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | Sandtiger shark, 8' |
| 2005-06-05 | USA ,Surf City, Long Beach Island, Ocean County | Surfing | Ryan Horton | M /17 | Dorsum of foot/ankle injured by surfboard skeg or other inanimate object. | Mr. Burgess of ISAF announced the injury was the bite of a 1.8 m [6'], 2- to 3-year old white shark. Subsequent investigation revealed there was no shark involvement in this incident |
| 1980-07-27 | USA ,Ocean City, Cape May County | Body surfing | Jeff Moffat | M /15 | Back bitten | |
| 1975-10-21 | USA ,Sandy Hook, Monmouth County | Surf fishing | M | "Tooth marks" in left leg | Shark involvement unconfirmed | |
| 1966-06-22 | USA ,Reeds Bay, Brigantine, Atlantic County | Clamming | Harry Hiksdal | M /15 | 3 lacerations on right leg by speared fish PROVOKED INCIDENT | Local authorities speculated that the water was too cold for sharks, but a 2.1 m [7'], 200-lb pregnant sandbar shark was caught next day |
| 1965-08-26 | USA ,Steel Pier, Atlantic City, Atlantic County | Swimming | James Bloodworth, Jr. | M /15 | Right thigh lacerated | |
| 1962-08-12 | USA ,Manasquan, Ocean County | Standing | Michael Roman | M /24 | Left thigh & hand bitten | 1.8 m [6'] shark |
| 1960-08-30 | USA ,Ocean City, Cape May County | Swimming 3 miles offshore | Richard Chung | M /25 | Right leg severely lacerated | |
| 1960-08-22 | USA ,Seaside Park, Ocean County | Thomas McDonald | M /14 | Knee ripped to bone | ||
| 1960-08-21 | USA ,Sea Girt, Monmouth County | Standing in knee-deep water | John Brodeur | M /24 | Lower right leg bitten, surgically amputated 10 days later | |
| 1954-08-14 | USA ,Barnegat Light, Ocean County | Surf fishing | Lawrence Moody | M | Right leg bitten when chasing shark from his fishing line PROVOKED INCIDENT | "sand shark" |
| 1941-07-22 | USA ,Brielle, Monmouth County (Offshore) | Fishing for tuna | Fishing boat Bingo III , occupants: Michael Perkins, George Hornack & Capt. Lonergan | No injury to occupants, shark leapt into boat & bit cabin door | Mako shark | |
| 1936-07-12 | USA ,Long Branch, Monmouth County (offshore) | Fishing for bluefish | 22' boat, occupants: Saul White & Charles Dillione | No injury to occupants, shark leapt onboard boat | Blue shark, 8' [2.4 m], 500-lb | |
| 1935-06-18 | USA ,50 miles offshore | Fishing for bluefish, shark leapt into dory | Captain Manuel Chalor of fishing trawler Nautilus | M /31 | Arm lacerated by a shark that leapt onto boat | 4.6 m [15'] shark |
| 1932-08-10 | USA ,Offshore, between Mantoloking & Point Pleasant, Ocean County | Fishing | John Olsen | M | Hooked shark gashed right leg PROVOKED INCIDENT | 16' 800-lb shark |
| 1932-06-28 | USA ,10 miles offshore from Sea Isle City, Cape May County | Fishing | Antonio Fonzzo | M /32 | Knee bitten by boated shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | 250-lb "dog shark" |
| 1932-06-26 | USA ,Off Ocean City, Cape May County | Fishing | Giacomo Giavanco | M | Ankle broken when 500-lb boated shark lashed him with its tail PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| 1931-08-27 | USA ,1 mile ESE of Navesink, Monmouth County | Fishing for bluefish | boat, occupants: Nels Jacobson & Franklin Harriman Covert | No injury to occupants. Shark chasing fish struck boat | ||
| 1931-08-06 | USA ,Sandy Hook (ocean side), Monmouth County | Swimming | soldier, a private | M | Survived | |
| 1931-07-15 | USA ,Sea Girt, Monmouth County | Swimming | soldier in NJ National Guard | M | Nipped on leg | |
| 1928-11-18 | USA ,Seabright, Monmouth County | Fishing | boat, occupants: Captains Charles Anderson, Emit Lindberg & Oscar Benson | M | Fishermen were cut & bruised by netted, harpooned and gaffed sharks PROVOKED INCIDENT | "Blue nose sharks" |
| 1928-08-24 | USA ,Off shore | male | M | Thumb & coat sleeve recovered from shark's gut | 7' shark | |
| 1926-08-24 | USA ,Seaside, Ocean County | Swimming | Charles A. Burke | M /18 | FATAL | |
| 1926-07-12 | USA ,20 miles off Seabright | Fishing | boat, occupants: Andrew Peterson & Peter Jergerson | M | No injury to occupants | "whiptail shark" (thresher shark?) |
| 1917-09-21 | USA ,Sea Bright, Monmouth County | Swimming, towing an empty barrel | Daniel Thompson, lifeguard | M | Left knee lacerated | |
| 1916-07-12 | USA ,In Matawan Creek, off NJ Clay Company brickyards at Cliffwood, Monmouth County, 9.5 miles from the sea, Monmouth County | Swimming | John Dunn | M /12 | Lower left leg bitten, surgically amputated | Said to involve a 2.7 m [9'] shark |
| 1916-07-12 | USA ,Matawan Creek, 10 miles from the sea, Monmouth County | Swimming (recovering remains of Stilwell) | Stanley Fisher | M /24 | FATAL, thigh bitten | 3 m [10'] shark |
| 1916-07-12 | USA ,Matawan Creek, 10 miles from the sea, Monmouth County | Swimming | Lester Stillwell | M /10 | FATAL, legs & torso bitten | |
| 1916-07-06 | USA ,Spring Lake, Monmouth County | Swimming | Charles Bruder | M | FATAL | Thought to involve a 2.6 m [8.5'] white shark |
| 1916-07-01 | USA ,Beach Haven, Ocean County | Swimming | Charles E. Vansant | M /24 | FATAL, left leg bitten | Thought to involve a 2.6 m [8.5'] white shark |
| 1916-06-30 | USA ,Atlantic City, Atlantic County | Swimming | boy | M /10 | Heel bitten | |
| 1913-08-27 | USA ,Lavalette, Ocean County | M | Man's leg recovered from 800-lb shark | Shark involvement prior to death unconfirmed | ||
| 1913-08-27 | USA ,Spring Lake, Monmouth County | F | Female foot recovered from shark | Shark involvement prior to death unconfirmed | ||
| 1907-08-08 | USA ,Lower Delaware Bay | Wading | George Kell | M | Abrasion to chest | |
| 1904-07-28 | USA ,Shrewsbury River, Monmouth County | Sailing | boat, 2 occupants | M | No injury | |
| 1903-09-16 | USA ,Atlantic City, Atlantic County | Fishing | Rev. John McMillan | M | Lacerations to right arm & shoulder | 9' shark |
| 1902-07-06 | USA ,Atlantic City, Atlantic County | Swimming | Harry M. Speerman | M | Shark bit his left arm after he grabbed its tail PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| 1895-08-02 | USA ,Raritan Bay | Fishing | Elias Turner | M | Arm bitten | |
| 1891-08-29 | USA ,Off Longport, Atlantic County | Shooting sharks | one of the crew of the schooner Mary C. Brown | M | Survived, PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| 1890-08-17 | USA ,Off Normandie-by-the-Sea, Monmouth County | Fishing for bluefish | a charter fishing boat with James Whiteside and his party | No injury to occupants. Hooked shark damaged boat PROVOKED INCIDENT | 5'7" shark | |
| 1884-08-28 | USA ,Bayonne, Hudson County | Watercraft | Edward Monroe | M | Hand bitten | |
| 1842-07-13 | USA ,Absecon, Atlantic County | Swimming | male | M /15 | Lacerations to leg | |
| 1842-07-06 | USA ,Absecon, Atlantic County | Harassing a shark | male | Lacerations to leg PROVOKED INCIDENT | ||
| 1829-06-10 | USA ,Sandy Hook Bay, Highlands, Monmouth County | Fell overboard from the ship Gem | male | M | FATAL | |
| 21-May 2023 2023 | USA ,Stone Harbor, Cape May County | Surfing | Maggie Drozdowski | F /15 | Lacerations to left foot and calf | |
| 1923 1923 | USA ,Sea Bright, Monmouth County | Fishing | boat, occupant: Richard Rodney | M | No injury to occupant Shark struck boat | |
| 1923 1923 | USA ,Ocean City (offshore) | Hoisting shark aboard fishing boat | male | M | Shark's tail broke his leg. PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| 1923 1922 | USA ,Ocean City (offshore) | Hoisting shark aboard fishing boat | male | M | Shark's tail broke his leg. PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| Late Aug-1905 1905 | USA ,Atlantic City, Atlantic County | Swimming from naptha launch after a day of fishing | George Wright | M | 3 toes of right foot were severed | |
| Mid-Aug-1886 1886 | USA ,Shrewsbury River, Highlands, Monmouth County | boat, occupants: 4 men | M | Shark attacked boat, shark killed & towed to shore | Shark was said to “have a very rough ½”-thick skin” | |
| Mid-Aug-1886 1886 | USA ,Sandy Hook Bay, Highlands, Monmouth County | Netting menhaden, sharks caught in net | Boat of Captain Forman White | No injury, sharks ripped net & bit boat PROVOKED INCIDENT | ||
| Aug-1886 1886 | USA ,Shrewsbury River, Highlands, Monmouth County | Clamming | John Parker & Edward Matthews | M | No injury. They were chased by three sharks, one of which rammed their boat | 3 m [10'] sharks |

