• Sharks are important marine predators. They play an important role as apex predators in the marine ecosystem
• Sharks feed on fish, marine mammals, turtles, seabirds and marine invertebrates
• Sharks actively hunt prey and will also scavenge food such as feeding on the carcasses of dead whales and dolphins 
• There are about 400 different species of sharks in the world and 180 different species of sharks in Australia. Of these 21 have been identified as responsible for biting people
• Most serious bites including fatalities are from three species: White Sharks, Bull Sharks and Tiger Sharks
• Over 90% of all shark bite incidents in Australia were attributed to White Sharks, Bull Sharks, Tiger Sharks, Wobbegongs and other whaler sharks
• White Sharks hunt prey by attacking from depth and hit prey at the surface
• Bull Sharks tend to prefer murky turbid water and often hunt there
• Tiger Sharks and Bull Sharks prefer warmer water, whereas white sharks can tolerate much cooler water
   

• Sharks often occur close to beaches when they come in looking for prey. They may be following schools of fish or looking for cooler water nearer the coast where there is likely to be more food.
• Many Australians and tourists to Australia visit the beach each year. Surf Life Saving Australia’s annual National Coastal Safety Survey found that in the last 12 months 16.3 million Australians (aged 16+) visited the coast on average 3.3 times per month suggesting there were about 600 million individual visits to the coast last year. 
• Over the last 10 years there were, on average, 20 shark incidents each year where people were injured. There were on average 2.8 fatalities each year and seven incidents where the person was uninjured.
• In 2023 there were 4 fatal shark bites in Australia. Over the same period Surf Life Saving Australia reported 125 coastal drowning deaths and there were 1,266 fatalities on Australian roads over the same period
   

The database has been maintained by Taronga Conservation Society Australia, since 1984 and includes more than 1,100 individual investigations of shark-bite cases in Australia since 1791. All shark-bite cases reported to the database are subject to thorough assessment to collate all possible information about the event. The original dataset is a comprehensive repository with 100 descriptor fields including information such as geographical location of the incident, weather conditions, victim recovery status, shark species, and time of incident. This information is gained by a purpose-designed questionnaire completed by victims, witnesses, official reports, and investigations by qualified biologists.

The database is updated as new information becomes available. Gathering this information enables a comprehensive evaluation of the context and potential causes of shark-bites, and may assist in reducing these incidents and promoting sustainable shark-human coexistence.

A paper describing the data was recently published in Nature’s Scientific Data.

All shark incidents that are reported undergo a comprehensive review of the circumstances and available details.

Find out more about the criteria for inclusion and the process behind classifying data.

Any use of this information in any publication must contain appropriate accreditation to the Australian Shark Incident Database, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, and cannot be used for commercial purposes without express permission of Rodd Stapley and Taronga.

This database is dynamic and regularly updated (e.g. numbers of recorded incidents and their outcomes are subject to change reflecting the new information available and new cases as they occur).

From tips for swimming safely to understanding a shark's behaviour, find out everything you need to know from our resource hub.