{"id":493956,"date":"2026-02-21T05:11:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T05:11:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/493956\/"},"modified":"2026-02-21T05:11:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T05:11:14","slug":"australia-records-most-shark-attack-fatalities-globally-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/493956\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia records most shark attack fatalities globally in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australia recorded the most fatal shark attacks<\/a> in the world last year.<\/p>\n

There were nine fatal unprovoked attacks worldwide in 2025 according to the International Shark Attack File released by the Florida Museum of Natural History, with Australia recording five.<\/p>\n

Of the 65 unprovoked attacks recorded across the globe Australia had 21, placing it second on the worldwide list behind the USA (25 attacks).<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

Unprovoked bites are defined as incidents in which a bite occurs in the shark\u2019s natural habitat with no provocation from a human.<\/p>\n

Surfer Lance Appleby was attacked by a shark<\/a> at Granites Beach on Adelaide\u2019s<\/a> Eyre Peninsula in January 2025, while 17-year-old Charlize Zmuda<\/a> was killed while swimming with her best friend north of Brisbane<\/a> in February.<\/p>\n

A month later Melbourne<\/a> man Steven Payne, 37, was attacked while surfing at Wharton Beach near Esperance<\/a>, 800km southeast of Perth<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Two of the recorded fatalties were in NSW<\/a>. Local business owner and father Mercury Psillakis was pulled under the water by a shark<\/a> at Long Reach Beach in Sydney in September, while Swiss national Livia Mulheim was attacked at Kylies Beach on the state\u2019s Mid North Coast.<\/a><\/p>\n

There have been a spate of shark attacks in NSW and around Sydney in 2026, including the tragic fatal death of 12-year-old Nico Antic who was bitten while jumping off a 6m rock with friends in Vaucluse.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"LiviaLivia Mulheim (left) and Charlize Zmuda (right) were among the five people killed by a shark in Australia last year. Credit: 7NEWS \"AA sign erected at Shark Beach in Nielsen Park, Vaucluse where 12-year-old Nico Antic was attacked by a shark in January 2026. Credit: AAP<\/p>\n

Australia is home to the \u201cbig three\u201d species \u2014 the white shark, tiger shark and bull shark.<\/p>\n

These species are responsible for most of the unprovoked fatal attacks on humans, according to Australian Geographic.<\/p>\n

Last years total of 21 unprovoked shark attacks in Australia is an increase on the most recent five-year annual average of 13.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf these bites occurred anywhere other than Australia, they would probably have resulted in even more fatalities,\u201d director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History Gavin Naylor said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir beach safety is second to none. Within minutes of a bite, they\u2019ve got helicopters airborne ready to respond.\u201d<\/p>\n

The USA, Mozambique, South Africa and Vanuatu recording one fatality each in 2025.<\/p>\n

There were slightly less shark attacks worldwide in 2025 than the most recent 10-year average of 72, however the number of fatalities increased.<\/p>\n

\"AustraliaAustralia is home to bull shark, known for being aggressive. Credit: Getty <\/p>\n

This jump could be either a random fluctuation, the International Shark Attack File stated, or the result of \u201cthe increasing number of white sharks seen at aggregation sites near beaches that are popular with surfers (particularly in Australia)\u201c.<\/p>\n

\u201cYear-to-year variability in oceanographic conditions influences the local abundance of sharks in the water, while weather patterns and economic conditions impact human activities along coastlines,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

Chances of being bitten by shark remain low <\/p>\n

The chances of being bitten by a shark are extremely low and global shark population numbers remains below historical levels, Naylor said.<\/p>\n

This decline is largely due to overfishing, while protections put in place in some countries like Australia have meant certain populations have recovered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOut of the 1200 species, 30 per cent of them are categorized as endangered,\u201d Naylor said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a lot, especially because these animals have managed to persist for about 330 million years. They\u2019ve been through the Permian Extinction and Cretaceous Extinction. Clearly, they\u2019re resilient, yet here we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Naylor said shark bites were due to the biology of the marine animals, the climatic conditions and the number of people in the water at the time.<\/p>\n

The International Shark Attack File suggests swimming with other people nearby and not swimming at dawn and dusk to decrease the chances of being bitten by a shark.<\/p>\n

They also advised to stay away from where people are fishing.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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2 min read<\/p>\n

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\u2018New normal\u2019: Expert\u2019s warning on shark alarms<\/p>\n

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