Despite the Rarity of Shark Attacks, They're Still Occurring: All the Shark Attacks of 2025
We will continue to update this list throughout the year.
Updated Feb. 17 2025, 12:00 p.m. ET
If you've seen movies like Jaws and avoided the beach, chances are, you're overestimating the likelihood of a shark attack happening to you. According to USA Today, in 2023, there were 69 "unprovoked" shark attacks on humans, with 36 being in the United States. Additionally, the Florida Museum reports that the odds of being attacked by a shark are 1 in 11.5 million.
That said, unfortunately, there have been a growing number of instances of human and wildlife conflict. Most of the time, these encounters are spurred by the climate crisis, which has brought marine life closer to shore.
If you want to keep current about the ongoing number of shark attacks in 2025, here is your running list.
On Feb. 7, 2025, a shark bit off a tourist's hands after she tried to take a selfie with the marine creature.
As reported by the New Zealand Herald on Feb. 15, 2025, a Canadian woman lost her hands after walking into the water on Thompson Cove Beach in Turks and Caicos. One of her arms was amputated below the wrist, and the other was amputated halfway up her forearm.
The woman was attacked after "attempting to engage" with the shark by trying to take a picture with them. The shark has reportedly been swimming in the area for 40 minutes.
The woman has since returned to Canada for further treatment, and the shark species is currently unknown, but early reports suggest the marine creature was a bull shark. Per the New Zealand Herald, shark attacks in Turks and Caicos are typically rare, with only one reported in 2024.
Nevertheless, authorities in the Caribbean are discouraging people from feeding sharks due to the potential risks to swimmers.
On Feb. 3, 2025, a teenage girl reportedly died from a shark attack in Australia.
According to a post on X, the Queensland Ambulance Service responded to a "serious shark bite incident" just north of Brisbane around Bribie Island at 4:45 p.m. local time on Feb. 3, 2025.
Per Nine News, the victim was a teenage girl who was bitten on the arm while swimming roughly 100 meters offshore. Then, according to Sydney Herald News, the girl made it back to the beach, but despite witnesses and paramedics trying to help her, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Australia uses drumlines away from shore to catch sharks, tag them, and release them away from beaches to mitigate the risk of shark-human interactions. However, per Sydney Herald News, it's unclear if the shark in this incident was baited into the area before the attack.
Animal activists such as the group Animals Australia have been vocal about using non-lethal alternatives to drumlines, which trap sharks in nets, hook them, and sometimes kill them.
This article, originally published on Feb. 3, 2025, has been updated.