Here are the top 5 most dangerous sharks.

There are over 400 species of sharks, but only a handful are dangerous to humans.  I pulled the data for this article from the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

The top 3 are responsible for nearly all recorded attacks, but I suspect the Oceanic White Tip shark in particular is under represented on this list because the victims of maritime disasters are rarely able to report shark attacks.

Top 5 Most Dangerous Sharks

5. Mako Shark

Photo Credit: Public Domain, NOAA

The Mako Shark is the fastest shark on the planet, capable of speeds of 68 kmh or 42 mph.  So if this shark comes after you, there’s no way you’ll be able to outswim it!  Mako sharks need to be fast to catch their favorite food: tuna fish, Swordfish, mackerel, other sharks and dolphins.

With an average size of 10 feet long (1000 lbs) and a mouth packed full of large, sharp and prickly teeth, this animal can do some serious damage.

The Mako Shark is a pelagic shark which means that it lives in wide open-ocean far from shore.  Sportsfisherman go crazy over Mako’s because of their ability to jump sometimes as high as 30 feet in the air!  And yes, when hooked, they’ve jumped into boats before so watch out.

Do Mako Sharks Attack People?

There’s no question that the Mako shark is a formidable predator.   It’s got size, weight, speed and a mouth full of sharp teeth going for it.  That said, in the last 500 years, these sharks have been involved in 9 attacks on humans with one being fatal.

So it’s important that we keep a little perspective here.

4. Oceanic White Tip

Photo Credit: Johan Lantz, Wikimedia

Another large pelagic shark with a fearsome reputation is the Oceanic White tip.  These sharks get their name from the long dorsal and pectoral fins that have a white tip.

Oceanics are not to be confused with the relatively harmless White tip reef sharks that inhabit large areas of the Indo-Pacific.

Oceanic White tips average about 10-12 feet in length and weigh up to 375 lbs.  These sharks are bold, persistent and fearless when they encounter divers and snorkelers.

Oceanic White tips cruise the open ocean in search of food.  When food is present, look out, these sharks can become quite aggressive.

Do Oceanic White Tips Attack Humans?

Since record keeping began on shark attacks, there have only been about 10 recorded attacks by Oceanic White tips with 3 fatalities.

About half of these attacks occurred in 2010 near a resort in Sharm-el-Sheik Egypt where 1 particular shark had been accustomed to being fed by divers and snorkelers.

The official stats on Oceanic White tip attacks don’t account for the fact that survivors of maritime disasters often fall victim to these sharks.

During the Second World War, a British ship, the Nova Scotia, sunk off the coast of South Africa.  Hundreds of people went into the water and few survived.

It’s believed that most were killed by Oceanic White tips.  Also, it is believed that a large number of the survivors from the ill-fated ship USS Indianapolis were killed by Oceanic White tips.

3. Bull Shark

Photo Credit: amanderson2, Wikimedia

The Bull shark is one of the most dangerous sharks on earth.

Bull sharks are part of the Big 3 (Great Whites, Tigers and Bulls), that are responsible for the majority of attacks on humans.  They are large, aggressive and have a mouth full of sharp serrated teeth.

Bull sharks have an average length of 8-10 feet and weigh about 300-400 lbs.

Bull sharks are found all over the world.  They prefer coastal tropical and warm temperate waters, but what makes Bull sharks unique is their ability to live in fresh water as well.

These sharks have traveled two thousand miles up the Amazon River, the Mississippi River in the US, the Ganges River in India, the Brisbane River in Australia and are even found in Lake Nicaragua!

Bull Shark Attacks on Humans

Bull sharks have been involved in 100 recorded attacks on humans over the years.  27 of them have been fatal.

The high number of attacks can be attributed to the fact that Bull Sharks inhabit the same coastal waters that we humans use for recreation and swimming.

In one notable attack from the summer of 2001, a small boy had his arm bitten clean off by a Bull shark in only a couple of feet of water.

It’s also believed that the true number of Bull shark attacks is much higher than the official record suggests.

In Sydney Australia, experts believe that a number of Bull Shark attacks on swimmers were mistakenly attributed to Great White Sharks.

2. Tiger Shark

Photo Credit: SharkMunch.com

Second only to the Great White Shark in human fatalities, the Tiger shark is one of the largest dangerous sharks around.

Tiger sharks prefer tropical and warm temperate waters where they can grow to over 16 feet long and weigh 1400 lbs.  They have very powerful jaws that can bite through the shells of sea turtles.

Tiger Sharks are also known as the “garbage cans” of the sea because they will eat just about anything including garbage, fish, birds, turtles, dolphins and other sharks.

For more information about tiger sharks check out my article about the Great Tiger Sharks of the Bahamas.

Tiger Shark Attacks on Humans

Tiger sharks have been involved in 111 recorded attacks on humans with 31 fatalities.

The scariest thing about Tiger sharks is their tendency to repeatedly attack their victims unlike other sharks that typically take a bite and swim away.  This is what happened when a tiger shark attacked a couple who were swimming in the waters off Cape Hatteras North Carolina in 2001.

Shipwreck survivors have also chillingly reported Tiger sharks repeatedly attacking survivors and feeding off of the dead.

My Own Encounter with An Aggressive Tiger Shark

I have been diving for years and while I had done a lot of night dives, I had never dove in one particular area off of Grand Bahama island at night.

My buddy and I suited up after dinner and descended down to an old shipwreck that was full of marine life.

We had dove the site a few times that day and thought it would be an ideal night dive.  That afternoon I noticed a big Green Sea Turtle hanging out around the wreck and just could not believe how massive it was.  There was also lots of reef sharks and even a few big lemons cruising around the wreck.

I made my decent to the wreck at dusk and light was fading fast.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a shadow or something dim the light.

As I turned to look the shark immediately turned toward me, making an abrupt, sharp right turn.  That’s when I saw the blunt head of a large 14 foot tiger shark; and it was coming straight at me!

I quickly turned toward my buddy a few meters away and his eyes were as big as mine!  We both immediately started swimming back to the boat and all I could think of was the feeling of those teeth sinking into my legs!

Luckily we both made it back to the boat safe and sound.  The shark swam parallel to us but didn’t make any aggressive moves…maybe it was just as freaked out as we were lol!

On board the boat the shark surface and swam the length of the stern which a little over 16 feet in length.  It was nearly as long as that section of the boat so 14 feet is a pretty accurate length of that shark.

I often wonder about that incident.  Was the shark going to attack?  Or was it just checking us out.

Typically sharks, especially large ones like tigers and great whites are rather cautious and don’t approach at lightning speed unless they’re on the attack.

Sharks will typically circle first, before coming in for a closer look.  This big tiger did no such thing.  Like I said, it made a sharp sudden turn which led me to believe that it was making an aggressive move.

I dove many times with tiger sharks before and after this incident without ever feeling as uncomfortable as I did on that night dive.  It gave my buddy and I both a pretty good scare!

But I can’t help but wonder if it was checking us out to see if we had any food for it.  I later found out that in that particular area, some divers had been feeding sharks.

The fact that it did not attack us suggests that it never intended to in the first place because once a tiger shark decides to attack its game over!

1. Great White Shark

Photo Credit: Terry Goss, Wikimedia

Thanks to the movie “JAWS,” most people are familiar with the Great White Shark.

Great White Sharks are the largest dangerous sharks on earth.  They have large, triangular teeth with serrated edges that help them cut through flesh and bone.

If you’ve ever seen these majestic predators up close then you’ll wonder how anyone can survive even 1 bite from a Great White Shark.

Great White Sharks can grow up to 22 feet long and weigh in at over 5000 lbs.  They prefer cooler temperate waters where they hunt seals, sea lions, fish and porpoises.

White sharks have been known to make long migrations from South Africa to Australia; from Northern California to Baja and the Sea of Cortez to the mid – Pacific.  For more information and to check out some cool white shark pictures see my article on Great White Sharks.

Great White Shark Attacks on Humans

Great White Sharks have been involved in 314 recorded attacks on humans with 80 fatalities.

In some of the most brutal attacks, the shark actually consumed its victim.  Those types of attacks are exceedingly rare but have occurred.

The typical Great White Shark attack involves a single bite, but due to their large size even a single bit can result in massive wounds and blood loss.  Scuba divers, surfers, swimmers and kayakers have all been attacked by these sharks.

Thanks for reading the Top 5 Most Dangerous Sharks.