In the vast expanse of the Texas coastline, the beauty of the sea invites countless tourists each year. However, with human interaction comes the occasional and often misunderstood encounter with nature’s marine predators. Our weekly updates on shark attacks in Texas aim to provide accurate information, helping to ensure safe interactions between people and these majestic creatures. Stay informed and enjoy the wonders of the Gulf without unnecessary fear.
Recent Shark Attacks in Texas
| Date | Country / Area | Activity | Name | Sex / Age | Injury | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-05 | USA ,Matagorda Beach Matagorda | Fishing | Chuck Bledsoe | M | Laceration on top and undermeath right foot | Not stgated |
| 2025-08-30 | USA ,Galveston | Swimming | Harper Ochoa | F /8 | Bite to leg | Not stated |
| 2024-07-04 | USA ,South Padre Island | Swimming | Tabatha Sullivant | F | Bite to left leg calf muscle removed | Bull shark 6 ft |
| 2024-07-04 | USA ,South Padre Island | Swimming | Victoria Ramos | F /18 | Minor cuts to calf | 6 ft shark |
| 2024-07-04 | USA ,South Padre Island | Swimming | Victoria Bazaldua | F /18 | Superficial wounds to leg | 6 ft shark |
| 2022-12-07 | USA | Surfing | male | M | Foot bitten | Blacktip |
| 2021-08-28 | USA ,Galveston Island, Galveston County | Boogie boarding | male | M | Lacerations both sides of lower leg immediately above the ankle | |
| 2018-08-09 | USA ,Crystal Beach, Galveston County | Spearfishing | Blaine Shelton | M /42 | Laceration to right leg above the knee | Said to involve a bull shark, 5' to 6' |
| 2018-07-16 | USA ,Galveston | Surfing | Laura Dean | F | Single laceration to right thigh inconsistent with shark bite | |
| 2018-04-28 | USA ,Galveston Bay | Fishing | Mike Ruthenback | M | Forearm bitten by hooked shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | Sandtiger shark' |
| 2017-09-02 | USA ,South Padre Island, Cameron County | Swimming | female | F | Lacerations to foot | |
| 2016-06-14 | USA ,Pirates Beach, Galveston | Floating in tube | Marin Alice Melton | F /6 | Injury to lower leg | 3' to 4' shark |
| 2016-01-24 | USA ,Off Surfside | Spearfishing | Keith Love | M | Bruised ribs & tail bone, speargun broken and wetsuit cut | Bull sharks x 2 |
| 2015-10-05 | USA ,Galveston | Wading | Gregory Slaughter | M /13 | Foot & hands bitten | 4' to 5' shark |
| 2014-06-07 | USA ,West Beach, Galveston | Kneeling in the water | Mikaela Amezaga Medina | F /14 | Shallow lacerations & puncture wounds below shoulder | |
| 2013-06-17 | USA ,Surfside Beach, Brazoria County | Swimming | Garrett Sebesta | M /15 | Left leg & hand bitten | |
| 2011-08-28 | USA ,Grass Island, Aransas County | Wade Fishing | Mary Locklear | F /39 | Lacerations to anterior left shin, abrasion to posteior right leg | |
| 2011-07-13 | USA ,South Padre Island, Cameron County | Surf fishing | Eugenio González Paez | M | Lacerations to left foot | |
| 2011-07-07 | USA ,Sunday Beach, Matagorda Island, Calhoun County | Swimming | Nicholas Vossler | M /12 | Foot bitten | |
| 2011-07-07 | USA ,Mustang Island, Nueces County | Wade Fishing | Shawn Hamilton | M /14 | Lacerations to right foot | |
| 2011-05-30 | USA ,Follett's Island, Brazoria County | Standing or boogie boardin | Kori Robertson | F /22 | Lacerations & punctures to right thigh | |
| 2011-03-29 | USA ,Matagorda Beach | Standing, holding shark pup | Orlando | M | Minor laceration to shoulder from captive shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | Blacktip shark pup |
| 2010-07-16 | USA ,Galveston | Fishing | Charlie Gauzer | M | Leg bitten | |
| 2010-06-27 | USA ,Eight Mile Beach, Galveston | Surfing | Chad Rogers | M /20 | Lacerations to right foot | Bull shark, 5' |
| 2009-07-24 | USA ,South Padre Island | Wading | Deidre Casas | F /14 | Lacerations to anterior left lower leg | |
| 2006-10-07 | USA ,Isla Blanca Park, South Padre Island | Surfing | Freddy Torres | M | Lacerations to lower left leg | 1' to 4' shark |
| 2006-07-23 | USA ,Sargent Beach, Matagorda County | Surf fishing | R.K. Halbert | M | Right foot bitten | Bull shark, 4' to 5' |
| 2005-08-19 | USA ,Crystal Beach (east of Galveston) | Walking | Julian Elizondo | M /12 | Left foot bitten | |
| 2005-07-13 | USA ,Port Bolivar, Galveston County | Holding onto an inflatable boat | Lydia Paulk | F /14 | Left foot bitten | [4' to 5'] |
| 2005-06-02 | USA ,Mustang Island, Corpus Christi | Wading | male | M /6 | Two 2-inch lacerations on right foot | |
| 2005-04-07 | USA ,Isla Blanca Park, South Padre Island, Cameron County | Surfing | Gianluca Ferrario | M /37 | Left foot bitten | |
| 2004-09-10 | USA ,South Padre Island | Surf fishing | male | M | Minor scratch on calf | Shark involvement questionable |
| 2004-07-27 | USA ,Galveston Island | Swimming | Erika Hailey | F /19 | Right foot bitten | 1.2 m to 1.5 m [4' to 5'] shark |
| 2004-07-25 | USA ,Bryan Beach, Brazoria County | Wading / fishing & carrying a bag of fish | Aaron Perez | M /11 | Right forearm nearly severed and bites above & below the right knee | Bull shark |
| 2004-05-29 | USA ,Pirate's Beach, Galveston Island | Wading | Ryan Eckstrum | M /16 | Puncture wounds on shin | 0.9 m to 1.5 m [3' to 5'] shark |
| 2004-05-04 | USA ,Channel between South Padre Island & Padre Island National Seashore | Tandem surfing | Rachel Gore | M /28 | No injury, board bitten | Mako shark, 1.8 m [6'] |
| 2003-08-29 | USA ,1.5 miles off Surfside | Fishing | Saul Gonzalez | M | PROVOKED INCIDENT Hooked shark pulled onboard bit his arm | 1.2 m [4'] bull shark |
| 2001-06-12 | USA ,Padre Island National Seashore | Swimming | Jared Black | M /14 | Leg lacerated | 1.5 m [5'] shark |
| 2001-05-29 | USA ,Galveston Island | male | M /16 | Survived | ||
| 2000-07-07 | USA ,Mustang Island, Corpus Christi | Jumping | Robby Doolittle | M /5 | Ankle & foot lacerated | Lemon shark, 2.1 m to 2.4 m [7' to 8'] |
| 2000-06-10 | USA ,J.P. Luby Surf Park, Corpus Christi | Surfing | Kenny Alexander | M /17 | Foot lacerated | Blacktip shark, 1.2 m to 1.8 m [4' to 6'] |
| 1997-08-05 | USA ,East Beach, Galveston | Wading | female | F /10 | Wrist & am bitten | 1 m shark |
| 1995-07-06 | USA ,Port Aransas | Surfing | Mark George | M /34 | Foot bitten | |
| 1990-08-19 | USA ,Mustang Island, Nueces County | Surfing | male | M | Minor cuts to foot | |
| 1990-08-19 | USA ,Near Port Aransas, Nueces County | Wade fishing | Jimmy Allen | M /18 | Minor injury | |
| 1990-07-22 | USA ,Mustang Island State Park, Nueces County | Wading | Barbara Green | F /53 | 10-inch laceration to right foot | |
| 1989-10-11 | USA ,Surfside Beach | Surfing | Jason Largent | M /12 | Foot & leg bitten | 4' shark |
| 1989-07-07 | USA ,Sargent Beach, Matagorda County | Playing | Rene Richbourg | F /9 | Leg bitten | 4' shark |
| 1987-07-12 | USA ,Mustang Island, near Port Aransas | Body surfing | Carol Viau | F /32 | Left foot bitten | 4' shark |
| 1987-07-12 | USA ,Mustang Island, near Port Aransas | Wading | Brenda King | F /16 | Puncture wounds to right foot | 4' shark |
| 1987-04-18 | USA ,Mustang Island, near Port Aransas | Swimming | April Dawn Voglino | F /16 | Right arm severed above elbow | |
| 1984-07-24 | USA ,South Padre Island | Swimming | girl | F /13 | Lacerations on right foot | |
| 1984-07-24 | USA ,South Padre Island | Swimming | Carmen Gaytan | F /18 | Legs severely lacerated | 1.2 m [4'] shark |
| 1977-06-06 | USA ,Padre Island | Collecting fish from net | Dan Baen, Jr. | M /25 | Lacerations to wrist | Bull shark, 4' to 5' |
| 1976-04-28 | USA ,Galveston Island | Unknown | Possible drowning victim, remains retrieved from 400-lb shark caught by fishermen on 28-Apr-1976 | Shark involvement prior to death was not confirmed | ||
| 1969-05-25 | USA ,Packery Channel | Surf-fishing | Walter Barnett | M | Foot lacerated when he stepped on the shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | 2' to 3' shark |
| 1966-07-31 | USA ,South Jetty, Galveston | Diving for sand dollars | Robert W. Russell | M /16 | Dorsum of right foot grazed | Lemon shark or sandtiger shark |
| 1966-07-17 | USA ,Point Comfort, Calhoun County | Fishing | Tommy Barilek | M /14 | Lacerations to right foot | |
| 1966-06-04 | USA ,Bolivar Peninsula | Swimming | David N. Holmgreen | M /18 | Punctures on thigh & buttock | a small shark |
| 1962-08-19 | USA ,Off Andy Bowie Park, Padre Island, near Port Isabel | Surf fishing in waist-deep water | Hans Fix | M /40 | FATAL, lower right leg bitten | Unknown |
| 1960-08-25 | USA ,30 miles east of Corpus Christi | Aircraft crashed into sea | Naval aviator | M | Partial human remains spotted by helicopter, shark involvement, if any, may have been post-mortum | Shark involvement prior to death was not confirmed |
| 1953-04-04 | USA ,South Padre Island | Swimming | Susan Smith | F /19 | Lacerations to right foot | |
| 1950-07-10 | USA ,Near Port Arthur | Swimming | Mark Majors III | M /11 | Laceration to leg | Hammerhead shark |
| 1950-07-09 | USA ,Galveston Bay | M | Human remains found in shark | Shark involvement prior to death was not confirmed | ||
| 1948-02-13 | USA ,Gulf of Mexico between Brownsville & Carmen, Mexico | C47 aircraft carrying 5,000 lbs of ice ditched in the sea | Pilot, Neil Womack | M | FATAL. Womack was injured when plane went down, 3 days later he fell off liferaft & was taken by a shark | |
| 1939-07-14 | USA ,West Bay, 19 miles from Galveston | Seine netting | John Bolling | M | Leg bitten by snared shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | 18' shark |
| 1937-06-15 | USA ,Galveston | Swimming | Hal A. Thompson, Jr. | M /14 | FATAL | |
| 1937-05-30 | USA ,Galveston | Fishing | William Siskalo | M | Leg nipped by hooked shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | 4' shark |
| 1932-07-14 | USA ,Galveston | male | M /17 | Body recovered from 9' shark but death due to shark bite was not confirmed | Shark involvement prior to death unconfirmed | |
| 1931-08-18 | USA ,Off Brownsville | Swimming | P. Kincaid Zifflewwiggett | M | Minor injury |
How do authorities in Texas work to decrease the risk of shark attacks?
In Texas, United States, the authorities work to decrease the risk of shark attacks through implementing rigorous beach patrols, maintaining shark activity monitoring programs, and providing public education on shark behavior and safety guidelines. These measures aim to ensure the safety of beachgoers while also preserving the marine ecosystem of Texas.
Are shark attacks in Texas usually provoked or unprovoked?
In Texas, United States, most shark attacks are typically unprovoked – occurring when sharks mistake humans for their natural prey. However, a smaller percentage of incidents can be provoked, often resulting from humans inadvertently triggering an aggressive response due to intrusive actions.
Has Texas seen any trend or pattern in shark attacks over the past decade?
In the past decade, Texas, United States, has witnessed a slight increase in the number of shark attacks, with a notable concentration during the warmer summer months when both humans and sharks are more active in coastal waters. However, it’s crucial to note that despite this trend, the overall risk of shark attacks in Texas remains relatively low compared to other coastal areas in the country.
