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Shark Attacks in Sierra Leone

The Global Shark Attack File records 9 shark attacks in Sierra Leone between 1827 and 2006. Of those, 5 were fatal (55.6%).

Last recorded shark attack in Sierra LeoneMarch 27, 2006 · Lumely Beach, FreetownView details →

Total recorded

9

Fatal

5

Fatality rate

55.6%

Global avg 21.2%

Years covered

1827–2006

Recorded incidents by year

Peak 2 (1827)Avg 1.1
1827: 21828: 11829: 11845: 11889: 11943: 11944: 12006: 1Average: 1.1 per year
182718892006
8 years of data, 1827–2006
Shark attacks in Sierra Leone per year, 1827–2006
YearAttacks
18272
18281
18291
18451
18891
19431
19441
20061

Activities most associated with incidents

  • Swimming2
  • British ship, Britannia, was loading lumber. He was bathing1
  • Fishing1
  • The 21,516-ton troopship Empress of Canada torpedoed and sunk by the Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci1
  • Cleaning the side of a ship1

Recent recorded incidents in Sierra Leone

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many shark attacks have been recorded in Sierra Leone?
The Global Shark Attack File records 9 shark attacks in Sierra Leone, of which 5 were fatal.
What is the shark attack fatality rate in Sierra Leone?
55.6% of recorded shark attacks in Sierra Leone are fatal, compared with a global average of 21.2%.
What activities are most associated with shark attacks in Sierra Leone?
Swimming accounts for the largest share of recorded incidents in Sierra Leone, with 2 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.