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Shark Attacks in India

The Global Shark Attack File records 41 shark attacks in India between 1595 and 2024. Of those, 21 were fatal (51.2%). The species most often involved is the bull shark.

Last recorded shark attack in IndiaFebruary 14, 2024 · Vaitarna River, Palghar DistrictView details →

Total recorded

41

Fatal

21

Fatality rate

51.2%

Global avg 21.2%

Years covered

1595–2024

Recorded incidents by year

Peak 4 (1870)Avg 1.3
1595: 11617: 11637: 11802: 11808: 11817: 11830: 21842: 11868: 11870: 41871: 11877: 11879: 11880: 41881: 11888: 11889: 11890: 21893: 11928: 21938: 11939: 11944: 11946: 11952: 11955: 11959: 22003: 12024: 1Average: 1.3 per year
159518812024
29 years of data, 1595–2024
Shark attacks in India per year, 1595–2024
YearAttacks
15951
16171
16371
18021
18081
18171
18302
18421
18681
18704
18711
18771
18791
18804
18811
18881
18891
18902
18931
19282
19381
19391
19441
19461
19521
19551
19592
20031
20241

Species most often involved in India

SpeciesRecorded incidents
Bull Shark1
Tiger Shark1

Counts based on the species field in the Global Shark Attack File. Species identification in incident reports is not always reliable.

Activities most associated with incidents

  • Bathing10
  • Swimming3
  • Fishing2
  • Bathing in river2
  • Diving2

Recent recorded incidents in India

Frequently Asked Questions

How many shark attacks have been recorded in India?
The Global Shark Attack File records 41 shark attacks in India, of which 21 were fatal.
What is the shark attack fatality rate in India?
51.2% of recorded shark attacks in India are fatal, compared with a global average of 21.2%.
Which shark species are most often involved in attacks in India?
Based on incident records, the species most frequently identified in India attacks are Bull Shark, Tiger Shark.
What activities are most associated with shark attacks in India?
Bathing accounts for the largest share of recorded incidents in India, with 10 cases logged.
Where does this shark attack data come from?
All figures are derived from the Global Shark Attack File (GSAF), a non-profit database of shark-human incident records. Shark Data Lab cleans, geocodes, and aggregates the GSAF dataset for analysis.