Home / Shark Attacks / 1981 Shark Attacks in 1981 In 1981, the Global Shark Attack File logged 49 shark attacks worldwide — 79.6% above the historical annual average. 5 were fatal (10.2%). United States accounted for the most incidents that year, with 27.
Fatality rate
10.2%
Global avg 21.2%
vs. annual avg
80% above
Hist. avg 27.3/yr
Countries with the most incidents in 1981 Species most often involved in 1981 Counts based on the species field in the Global Shark Attack File. Species identification in incident reports is not always reliable.
Notable incidents in 1981 South Moss Beach, Spanish Bay, Monterey Peninsula, United States Fatal
1981-12-18 · Surfing · 7 m [23'] white shark
Nimitz Beach, Barbers Point, O'ahu, United States Non-fatal
1981-12-12 · Spearfishing, but swimming on surface · Tiger shark, 3.7 m [12']
Green Island, Australia Non-fatal
1981-12-12
Vicendo, Reunion Non-fatal
1981-11-29 · Spearfishing
La'au Point, Moloka'i, United States Non-fatal
1981-11-08 · Diving to untangle a crab trap line from boat's propeller · 2.1 m [7'] shark with "a very flat head” that had followed the boat for 3 days
Jupiter Island, Brevard County, United States Non-fatal
1981-10-18 · Swimming · 1.8 m to 2.4 m [6' to 8'] shark
Mossel Bay, South Africa Non-fatal
1981-10-18 · Inspecting teeth of supposedly dead (hooked & shot) shark · 3.5 m [11.5'], 510-kg [1125-lb] hooked & shot white shark
Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, United States Non-fatal
1981-10-16 · Surfing
Cocoa Beach, Brevard County, United States Non-fatal
1981-10-15 · Surfing
Playalinda Beach, Brevard County, United States Non-fatal
1981-09-30 · Surfing · 6' shark
Frequently Asked Questions How many shark attacks were there in 1981? ▾ The Global Shark Attack File records 49 shark attacks worldwide in 1981, with 5 fatalities.
What was the shark attack fatality rate in 1981? ▾ 10.2% of shark attacks recorded in 1981 were fatal.
Which countries had the most shark attacks in 1981? ▾ The countries with the most recorded incidents in 1981 were United States (27), South Africa (8), Australia (4).
Which shark species were most often involved in 1981 attacks? ▾ Based on incident records, the most frequently identified species in 1981 were Tiger Shark, White Shark, Dusky Shark.
Shark Data Lab