The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is considered to be the most dangerous shark of all by many. However, it doesn’t seem to have acquired quite the reputation of the great white and tiger sharks. There are several reasons why this shark is considered particularly dangerous including its physical attributes.
Bulls also go by more names than most sharks, which is indication of its range and distribution. These include the Ganges shark, Nicaragua shark, river shark, Swan River Whaler, shovelnose, bull whaler, Fitzroy Creek whaler, square-nose, and Van Rooyen’s shark. Read more…
The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is big, common and aggressive. The name comes from both its temperament and the stripes running down its sides. It is also known as “the garbage can of the sea” as it commonly swallows anythings it comes across. Objects recovered from tiger sharks’ stomachs include bottles, tires, clothes, cats, pigs and even a whole horse head. You get the picture! More common prey include fish, seals, dolphins, birds and turtles. Read more…
Just the name Great White Shark is enough to send people running from the beach. Already notorious the Jaws movies of the 1970s further demonised this shark (if that was necessary?!) and consolidated its reputation as a man eater. Carcharodon carcharias is though, without doubt, one of planet Earth’s ultimate killing machines.
The biggest great white specimens are around 6.5 metres (22ft) in length. However, several reports of sharks as big as 8 metres (26ft) and weighing nearly 3.5 tons have been published. Set between crushingly powerful jaws are rows of triangular teeth around 3 inches long which are serrated along either side. These are used to slice up the prey which the shark does by shaking its head from side to side. If a tooth is broken one from the row behind takes its place. Read more…
The oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) is the first of the sharks on this list I would genuinely classify as a “man-eater”. It has almost definitely killed more people than all the other sharks put together. The reason it is not at the top of the list is the vast majority of these attacks were completely opportunistic and the result of air and sea disasters. There were several incidents of ships being sunk during World War II in which it is believed sharks were responsible for hundreds of deaths, with the prime attacker being the whitetip. Read more…
Many people are familiar with the sand tiger (Carcharias taurus) as the large sharks you see when visiting an aquarium. They go by a number of names including grey nurse shark, ragged-tooth shark and blue-nurse sand tiger and are found in warm waters around the world.
The sand tiger shark grows to around 3.2 metres (11ft) in length and can weigh up to 160kg (350 lbs). However, it is the ferocious looking teeth that tend to get people’s attention. There are three rows of long, sharp, pointy teeth which menacingly protrude from the sharks mouth. Despite looking terrifying, the teeth are designed for grasping small slippery prey such as fish and squid. Read more…
Another member of the requiem shark family, the Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) is one of the most widespread and common sharks. It can be found as far north as Norway and as far south as Chile, yet being a deep water species it rarely come into contact with people. This streamlined shark is capable of bursts of speed which it uses for chasing down its prey of squid and fish. The largest specimens recorded are over 12 ft (3.8m), but there have been unconfirmed reports of up to 21 feet. Read more…
The blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) is both common and widely distributed throughout the tropical /subtropical shallows of the world. It gets its name from the black tips and fringes to its fins and tail. Generally blacktips are fairly small measuring less than 5ft (1.6m), however bigger specimens can reach up to 9ft (2.8m) and weigh over 100kg (220lb). What they lack in size they make up for in energy, often being seen leaping out of the water when chasing fish. Read more…
The hammerhead sharks are actually a family of sharks (Sphyrnidae) which range in size from less than a metre (3ft) to over 6 metres (20ft). It is believed the strangely shaped head allows the shark better all round vision. To most observers the different species are difficult to tell apart, especially when they’re biting your foot off. It does seem likely though that it is the great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) which are the most likely candidates. Reaching a whopping 6+ metres (20ft), weighing up to 600kg (1,300 lb) and equipped with teeth similar to those of the bull shark there is no doubt the great hammerhead could easily inflict deadly injuries on a human. It is also suggested that these may be more aggressive than other hammerhead species. Read more…
The shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), or blue pointer, is a member of the mackerel shark family (Lamnidae). This family contains such illustrious members as the great white shark and prehistoric megalodon. It isn’t a big surprise then to find the mako shark on this list.
The warm-blooded mako can grow to a fair size. Adults usually measure around 10ft (3m) but the biggest mako sharks can measure around 15ft (4.5m) and weigh in at nearly a ton. Combined with its size the mako has an incredible turn of speed. This shark has been recorded at up to 46 mph (74km/h) and some scientists suggest it can go much faster. With this speed the mako shark can make incredible leaps out of the water. One problem is that this often lands them in the middle of a fishing boat and they have been known to inflict severe injuries out of the water. Read more…
The ISAF 2021 shark attack report
“Unprovoked bites” are defined as incidents in which a bite on a live human occurs in the shark’s natural habitat with no human provocation of the shark.
“Provoked bites” occur when a human initiates interaction with a shark in some way. These include instances when divers are bitten after harassing or trying to touch sharks, bites on spearfishers, bites on people attempting to feed sharks, bites occurring while unhooking or removing a shark from a fishing net and so forth. Read more…
| Classification | Total |
| Unprovoked Bites | 73 |
| Provoked Bites | 39 |
| Boat Bites | 4 |
| Scavenge | 1 |
| Public Aquaria | 0 |
| Doubtful | 5 |
| No assignment could be made | 1 |
| Not Confirmed | 14 |
| Total Cases | 137 |
