finance
65 Unprovoked Shark Bites Worldwide in 2025, Nine Fatal
Wildlife biologist Forrest Galante said shark populations have rebounded in California and Florida due to reduced overfishing. Global unprovoked bites fell below the decade average, Fox News reported.
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Shark populations in California and Florida have rebounded over the past 20 to 50 years because of reduced overfishing, wildlife biologist Forrest Galante said. Summertime draws sharks closer to beaches where people swim, increasing encounters, he added.
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File recorded 65 unprovoked shark bites worldwide in 2025, below the 10-year average of 72, Fox News reported.
Nine bites were fatal. The United States accounted for 25 of the incidents, with Florida reporting 11. U.S. bite numbers have declined overall in the past five years. TrackingSharks.com logged 30 bites worldwide through July 5, 2026, including seven fatalities.
An early June incident in Panama City, Florida, left a Navy base employee critically injured by a suspected bull shark and prompted a five-mile beach closure. Galante said 99 percent of bites result from mistaken identity. Sharks lack hands, so investigative bites can cause serious injury, he noted.
Beachgoers should avoid entering water at dawn or dusk, near river mouths, or alone, and should refrain from making sounds like cracking water bottles that resemble fish bones. Galante’s upcoming Shark Week special, Alien Sharks: Untamed America, is scheduled to premiere July 29 on Discovery.
