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SHARKDATALAB · INCIDENTMay 16, 2026Western Australia coastAustraliaFATAL
May 16, 2026· Western Australia coast, AustraliaFatal

Fatal Shark Attack Off the Western Australia Coast (May 2026)

Synthesised by sharkdatalab from 2 sources

On 16 May 2026, a man died following a shark attack in waters off the Western Australia coast. The incident was recorded as fatal, with two independent sources reporting the death on the same date. One source identified the shark involved as a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), while the second source did not specify a species.

The coordinates associated with the incident place the location along the southwestern coast of Western Australia, a region where great white shark presence is well documented. No further details regarding the victim's age, the precise location, the activity being undertaken at the time, or the nature of injuries sustained were available in the sourced reporting.

Western Australia has recorded a disproportionate number of fatal shark interactions relative to other Australian states over recent decades. Great white sharks, which inhabit the coastal and offshore waters of southern Australia, are the species most frequently implicated in serious and fatal encounters in the region.

See this incident in the database: Western Australia coast, Australia

Sources