Shark Attacks in Malta

The Global Shark Attack File records 5 shark attacks in Malta between 1890 and 2010. Of those, 3 were fatal (60.0%). The species most often involved is the white shark.

Total recorded

Fatal

Fatality rate

60.0%

Global avg 21.1%

Years covered

1890–2010

Recorded incidents by year

Peak 2 (1956)Avg 1.3

18902010

4 years of data, 1890–2010

Shark attacks in Malta per year, 1890–2010
Year	Attacks
1890	1
1907	1
1956	2
2010	1

Species most often involved in Malta

Species	Recorded incidents
White shark	2
3 m shark	1
Porbeagle or white shark	1

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

Fishing2
Windsurfing1
Swimming1
Fishing boat with 4 men on board was rammed & capsized by a shark, throwing all occupants into the water1

Recent recorded incidents in Malta

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many shark attacks have been recorded in Malta?

The Global Shark Attack File records 5 shark attacks in Malta, of which 3 were fatal.

What is the shark attack fatality rate in Malta?

60.0% of recorded shark attacks in Malta are fatal, compared with a global average of 21.1%.

Which shark species are most often involved in attacks in Malta?

Based on incident records, the species most frequently identified in Malta attacks are White shark, 3 m shark, Porbeagle or white shark.

What activities are most associated with shark attacks in Malta?

Fishing accounts for the largest share of recorded incidents in Malta, 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.