In 2025, the number of unprovoked shark bites globally saw an increase, coupled with a rise in fatalities surpassing the recent decade’s average, as reported by the International Shark Attack File (ISAF).

The Florida Museum of Natural History’s ISAF recorded 65 unprovoked shark bites worldwide in 2025. This figure marks a rise from the lower-than-usual numbers seen in 2024, aligning more closely with the 10-year average of 72 incidents per year. Notably, 12 of these incidents in 2025 were fatal, which is double the decade’s average of six unprovoked deaths annually.

Gavin Naylor, who leads the Florida Program for Shark Research and serves as a curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History, mentioned that it is premature to conclude whether this uptick indicates a lasting change.

“It’s difficult to make a definitive assessment,” Naylor stated to Fox News Digital. “Most fatalities occurred in Australia, possibly due to both an increase in certain shark species and more surfers exploring new and often remote surfing spots. Additionally, there’s a rise in water sports like foiling, which could contribute to these numbers.”

While shark bites globally rose in 2025, with 65 unprovoked attacks and 12 fatalities—twice the recent decade’s average—experts caution against jumping to conclusions about any emerging trends.

Naylor emphasized that more years of data are necessary to ascertain if the events of 2025 signify the beginning of a broader pattern.

“We will be able to say more if the trend continues in subsequent years,” he said. “For now we cannot exclude the notion that it is a statistical ‘blip.’”

Researchers say it’s too early to determine whether the increase signals a long-term trend, noting many of the fatal attacks occurred in Australia. (iStock)

ISAF investigated 105 alleged shark-human interactions worldwide in 2025.

Of those, 65 were confirmed as unprovoked. Twenty-nine were classified as provoked, including incidents involving fishing, handling sharks or attempting to touch them. Other cases involved boat strikes or could not be definitively categorized.

The United States recorded the largest share of unprovoked bites, accounting for about 38% of the global total. Florida continued to lead the nation with 11 unprovoked attacks, more than twice as many as any other state.

The sole fatality in the US was triathlete Erica Fox, 55, whose body was found near Santa Cruz, California, on December 21 after she vanished during a group training swim.

The coroner ruled the cause of death as “sharp and blunt force injuries and submersion in water.”

Florida reported more incidents than any other U.S. state, though most cases were nonfatal.

Australia ranked second in total unprovoked bites, representing roughly 32% of incidents worldwide.

A shark attack sign is posted at the Sand Dollar Beach section of Manresa State Beach in Watsonville, California.  (Karl Mondon/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)

While the number of unprovoked bites rose in 2025 compared with the previous year, the total remains within the range observed over the past decade, according to the group’s annual summary.

An unprovoked bite is defined as an incident in which a person is bitten in a shark’s natural habitat without prior human interaction. Provoked incidents are tracked separately to maintain consistency in reporting and long-term comparisons.

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