The World’s Most Dangerous Sharks | Update

It was a sunny day in March of 1985.

As Shirley Ann Durdin was diving for scallops in Peake Bay, South Australia, a great white shark measuring about 20 feet suddenly attacked her and tore her body in half. Her family, who was 150 yards away from her, was helpless and can do nothing but watch.

Her floating headless torso was all that remained of her. And when the rescuers finally came, the great white came for seconds and devoured what was left of her, too. 

This story is just one of the numerous cases of shark attacks in the world involving the great whites. But aside from this predator, which other sharks species are also considered dangerous? 

In this post, we’ll discuss about them, as well as some of history’s most horrifying shark attacks and some survival stories. 


Why do sharks bite humans?

According to the International Shark Files of Florida Museum, there are a total of 73 unprovoked bites and 39 provoked ones that occurred in 2021 alone. These attacks are often caused by increased human encounters, curiosity, and mistaken identity. 

Humans aren’t an essential part of a shark’s diet, as they prefer fatty prey such as seals and stingrays. However, when faced with a human, they tend to get curious, so they try to take a bite or two.

So how likely are you to get bit by these men in grey suits?

The victims of shark attacks are often males because they’re more prone to having encounters with them, and not because sharks have gender preferences.  According to statistics, the number of men who surf and go scuba diving is higher than women.

As much as the mainstream media hyped shark attacks, the chance of you getting attacked is 1 in 264.1 million. This is significantly lower compared to being struck by lightning or hitting the lottery jackpot. In 2021, for instance, there were 9 only fatal shark attacks in the United States out of 73 total cases. 


The Top 8 World’s Most Dangerous Sharks

Out of 548 shark species, only 13 of them have attacked humans. The most number of bites come from the great whites, tiger sharks, and bull sharks. They are also the ones responsible for Australia’s high number of fatality attacks from the years 1958 to 2014. 

Aside from those three mentioned, there are also other dangerous shark species that you should be wary of. Here are some of them along with stories of their most gruesome attacks. 

#8 Great Hammerhead Shark

Known for their hammer-looking heads, the great hammerhead sharks are one of the most feared shark species. But surprisingly, they’re only responsible for 17 attacks on humans since 1580. 

These sharks are characterized by their small mouths and eyes on the sides of their head. They have a size that can grow up to 20 feet, with a weight that can reach 500 lbs. 

Great hammerheads are often found in the warm waters of Mexico and Florida. They hunt by moving their heads to look for their prey’s electric signals first, knocking them off next, and then pinning them down to the ocean floor as they feed on them. 

These sharks don’t typically consume humans because they prefer to feast on stingrays; however, they sometimes bite humans due to their curiosity.

Great hammerheads are also cannibalistic, which means they eat their brothers and sisters, as well as their mother’s unfertilized eggs. But while they may seem scary and intimidating, we are more of a threat to them than they are to us. Due to the shark fin trade, their numbers are slowly decreasing, and experts fear that they will become extinct if this continues. 


#7 Shortfin Mako

If you think you can out-paddle a shark — much more a shortfin mako — think again. This shark species is known for being the fastest shark because of its ability to swim with a speed of 45 to 50 miles an hour. 

Aside from being fast swimmers, shortfin makos are also known for being aggressive. Overall, they are accountable for 900 recorded provoked and unprovoked attacks on humans. Most of these attacks are provoked because they’re often caught and dragged inside boats for recreational fishing. 

These dangerous sharks are not to be played around with, though. With a bite force measuring 3,000 lbs or 13,000 newtons, shortfin makos have the strongest bite of all sharks. To give you a reference to how strong they are, a human’s bite force only ranges from 247 to 292 lbs. Yikes.

Shortfin makos are characterized by their distinctly large, black eyes and pointed snouts. They have an average size of 10 feet, with a weight that ranges from 130 to 300 lbs. 

Unlike regular sharks, shortfin makos don’t use electroreceptors to detect their prey. Instead, they use their sense of seeing, hearing, and smelling for hunting. 


#6 Oceanic Whitetip Sharks

Whitetips are sharks that came straight out of nightmares. This species is responsible for the most unrecorded attacks in shipwrecks and planewrecks, as well as the worst shark attack in mankind’s history.

In July 1945, the USS Indianapolis ship carrying 1,196 men was split and sunk by a Japanese submarine, leaving 900 survivors floating aimlessly in the ocean. Unfortunately, the explosion attracted hundreds of oceanic whitetips — sharks known for their aggressive behavior. 

Because the ocean was filled with dead bodies, blood, and frantic survivors, these sharks went on a feeding frenzy for days. Out of 900, only 317 men survived. Sergeant Edgar Harrell, one of the survivors, said,

“All we heard was men being eaten alive. Every day, every night. You would hear a blood-curdling scream and look and see someone going under.”

Whitetip sharks are characterized by their long white-tipped dorsal, pectoral, caudal, and pelvic fins. Currently, their population is decreasing in numbers because of bycatch fishing and Asian sharks fin trade. 


#5 Blacktip Sharks

Next, we have the resident sharks of New Smyrna Beach Florida — the blacktip sharks. No thanks to them, Volusia County is dubbed as the ‘Shark Attack Capital of the World’. 

Blacktip sharks are characterized by their black-tipped pectoral and dorsal fins. They are smaller in comparison to other sharks, but they lead in number in terms of the most human bites. Blacktips are known for their aggressive and territorial temperament, hence the reason for their astounding number of shark attack cases. 

These sharks are not afraid to retaliate when threatened. When humans come into their territory, they will intentionally intimidate and scare their visitors away by swimming towards them and plunging with sideway bites. This act may go on for less than a minute until the shark bites or move away. 


#4 Sand Tiger sharks

Not to be confused with tiger sharks, sand tiger sharks are from a different species called Carcharias genus. They are known for being slow-moving sharks who not only eat small fishes, but also their brothers and sisters inside their mother’s womb.

Sand tiger sharks have ragged, sharp teeth that are pointed in all directions. Even when their mouths are closed, their teeth are still prominent, which further adds to their already scary and intimidating appearance. 

Sand tiger sharks are called such because they’re often seen on the ocean floor and shorelines when they migrate. Because of their close proximity to beaches, most of their victims consist of surfers and beachgoers. However, like other sharks on this list, humans are not part of their diet. 

Sand tiger sharks are night hunters, which makes them pretty inactive during the day. They hunt prey by using their electroreceptors to detect signals and then making themself buoyant by collecting air in their stomachs. This method allows them to be completely still and move towards their prey undetected. 


#3 Tiger Sharks

Tiger sharks may look cute with their stripe markings when they’re babies, but their temperament and characteristics are far from the friendly-looking fish they seem to be. 

In 2021 alone, this species is responsible for 131 attacks on humans,  34 of them being fatal. Possibly the most famous case of a tiger shark attack was that of Bethany Hamilton, the inspiration for the movie, ‘Soul Surfer’. 

This shark’s diet and excellent sense of sight make them great ocean predators. They are known for being voracious or opportunistic feeders, meaning they don’t discriminate when it comes to food.

Their diet can consist of anything — carcass or living. Their common prey include crabs, squid, small fishes, sharks, mammals, birds… even human garbage! Luckily, they’re nocturnal, so they often feed at night. 

The physical characteristics of tiger sharks consist of their serrated, pointed teeth that can easily shred and rip their prey in two. Their average size ranges from 10 to 14 feet, and they can weigh over 2,000 lbs. 


#2 Bull sharks

Experts believe that it’s likely for bull sharks to have the most number of (unrecorded) shark attacks because of their habitat. Since they can live in freshwater, brackish, and murky waters  — not to mention they also prefer shallow and coastal waters — they have more frequent encounters with humans than the great whites. In total, bull sharks are behind 117 attacks, with 25 of them being fatal. 

One of their early cases was the Jersey Shore Attacks in 1916. In the midst of a heatwave, four people died when bull sharks went on a feeding frenzy that lasted for 10 days.

Bull sharks are known for their stout bodies and long pectoral fins. Their size ranges from 7 to 11 feet, and they can weigh from 200 to 500 lbs. Aside from their massive size, bull sharks are also known for their aggressiveness and strong bite force that measures 300 lbs or 6,000 newtons. 

#1 Great White Sharks

Last but definitely not least, we have the deadliest shark species of all — the great whites. 

Known for being the most aggressive shark species, the great whites are accountable for half the shark attacks that happen every year all over the globe. As of 2021, they have a total of 333 attacks, with 52 of them being fatal. 

Great whites are active hunters during the daytime. They’re also known to feed on marine animals with lots of fat like seals. Most cases of attacks recorded are unprovoked, which is often caused by mistaken identity and curiosity.

Although not viral, the most gruesome case of a great white shark attack was that of Rodney Fox, which happened in 1963. While competing, he was bitten by a great white on his torso area, leaving him with ripped lungs, a punctured diaphragm, and exposed organs. Much worse, the great white went for second bites. Luckily, the rescue came just in time to save him. 

It took four hours of surgery and 400 stitches to fix him up. Today, Fox still lives to tell the tale. 


Conclusion 

Whether we like it or not, sharks are apex predators that we share the ocean with. They are one of the most dangerous animals, but there are far deadlier creatures compared to them, such as horses, dogs, jellyfishes, bees, mosquitoes, snakes, and of course — humans. Every year, the average number of shark attack fatalities is only 10. Meanwhile, humans kill 11,416 sharks every hour.

Curious to learn more about peculiar sharks? Read this next article here! 

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