The Shark Attack Capitals of the United States

It may not come as a surprise, but Florida is the “shark attack capital of the world.” Since 1837, there have been 868 reported shark attacks in Florida, with 236 of those (27%) coming in the last years.

SI Yachts has put together this fascinating guide that analyzes where the most shark attacks have been recorded in the United States.

Click below to zoom

Florida is home to 70% of the ten counties across America with the most shark attacks ever recorded.

1. Volusia County, FL: 320
2. Brevard County, FL: 153
3. Palm Beach County, FL: 80
4. Maui County, HI: 69
5. Duval County, FL: 46
6. St. Johns County, FL: 44
7. Oahu County, HI: 42
8. Martin County, FL: 39
9. Charleston County, SC: 36
10. St. Lucie County, FL: 35

The visual is chock full of interesting information, including showing the number of shark attacks that happened across the country from 2011 and 2020, to further analyze the coastal states. The five states with the most shark attacks during this time period were Florida (236), Hawaii (73), South Carolina (43), North Carolina (32), and California (29).

There’s also information on what is more likely to kill you than a shark. According to the data, 40 people are attacked by sharks in the United States each year, with an average of one suffering fatal consequences. Here are some things that are more likely to kill you than a shark:

• Falling out of bed (an average of 450 deaths each year)
• Deer colliding with vehicles (440 people a year)
• Bees, hornets and wasps (58 people a year)
• Lightning (49 people a year)
• Dogs (40 people a year)
• Cows (20 people a year)
• Snakes (5 people a year)
• Vending machines (2 people a year)

Yes, vending machines.