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Shark Attacks in Panama

The Global Shark Attack File records 32 shark attacks in Panama between 1748 and 2009. Of those, 18 were fatal (56.3%). The species most often involved is the white shark.

Total recorded

32

Fatal

18

Fatality rate

56.3%

Global avg 21.2%

Years covered

1748–2009

Recorded incidents by year

Peak 3 (1964)Avg 1.1
1748: 11864: 11895: 11910: 11916: 11917: 11924: 21928: 11935: 11937: 11940: 11942: 11943: 11944: 11945: 11950: 11953: 11958: 11960: 11961: 11962: 11963: 11964: 31965: 12003: 12008: 12009: 1Average: 1.1 per year
174819442009
27 years of data, 1748–2009
Shark attacks in Panama per year, 1748–2009
YearAttacks
17481
18641
18951
19101
19161
19171
19242
19281
19351
19371
19401
19421
19431
19441
19451
19501
19531
19581
19601
19611
19621
19631
19643
19651
20031
20081
20091

Species most often involved in Panama

SpeciesRecorded incidents
White Shark2
Lemon Shark1
Nurse 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

  • Swimming3
  • Bathing2
  • Swimming or surfing1
  • Washed overboard by swell1
  • Spearfishing1

Recent recorded incidents in Panama

Frequently Asked Questions

How many shark attacks have been recorded in Panama?
The Global Shark Attack File records 32 shark attacks in Panama, of which 18 were fatal.
What is the shark attack fatality rate in Panama?
56.3% of recorded shark attacks in Panama are fatal, compared with a global average of 21.2%.
Which shark species are most often involved in attacks in Panama?
Based on incident records, the species most frequently identified in Panama attacks are White Shark, Lemon Shark, Nurse Shark.
What activities are most associated with shark attacks in Panama?
Swimming accounts for the largest share of recorded incidents in Panama, with 3 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.