Sharks get such a bad rep. Maybe, we have to thank Jaws for that. The reality is a bit starker though – as all of us know, you are not likely going to get attacked by a shark while surfing, but the chance is obviously not zero.

Let's put this into perspective, millions of surf sessions happen every year. Statistically speaking, you're more likely to suffer some form of misadventure while driving to the beach or crossing the road, or get trampled by a cow. But you don't hear about those fairly innocuous headlines.

There are some coastlines over the world where you are more likely to encounter a shark. We cross-referenced the Global Shark Attack File, the Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File (ISAF), and various other reports covering historic shark bites involving surfers, to show where those hotspots are.

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Point of order though; these aren't necessarily places to avoid, they're some of the greatest surfing destinations on our great, big Earth. But if you're wondering where surfers have had the most shark encounters, these are the places that top the list.

Esperance, Western Australia: 4 fatal attacks

Esperance in Western Australia has had four fatal shark attacks in recent years. While that seems a fairly small number, it's four of the five fatal great white attacks that have been recorded in Western Australia over the past decade have happened in the waters here.

This is a town that had gone more than a century without a single shark fatality before the run of attacks started. And it can be explained; the region's high (relatively, of course) concentration of shark incidents is down to its location on a great white migratory route, an abundance of marine prey (such as seal colonies) and ideal hunting habitats created by coastal topography and kelp beds – this means it's a bit of a shark magnet.

Ballina, New South Wales, Australia: 11 attacks

Australia's unofficial great white hotspot of the last decade. Since 2015 there have been 11 recorded attacks along Ballina's beaches, including one fatality, prompting local authorities to roll out drone patrols to spot sharks before they reach the line-up. Even as recent as January 2026, a surfer was knocked from their board into the water by a shark. And then in July of the same year, a 41-year-old man was killed by a shark near Ballina. Back in 2016, Lee Jonsson, a 43-year-old surfer, was bumped from his board and bitten on the leg at Shelly Beach by an 8-foot great white. He famously punched the shark, unaware he had been bitten and managed to swim to shore to alert authorities.

La Jolla, California, USA: 12 incidents

We're going to split this one away from the California section further up this list. Because La Jolla alone has had 12 documented shark incidents, all from great whites. Which is a bit wild and thought it was worth calling this out. There have been enough incidents here to warrant researchers to tag the local population and try to figure out what's going on here -- and why La Jolla gets so much shark attention. One possible reason is the Marine Reserve; La Jolla’s waters are part of the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park and Ecological Reserve, which prohibits fishing and creates a safe haven with an abundance of fish, a primary food source for sharks. California enforces strict laws about chumming and baiting near these shorelines too, in order to preserve critical nursery grounds.

Second Beach, Port St Johns, South Africa: 8 fatal attacks

Numerically the smallest tally here, but maybe the pound for pound most terrifying. Since official tracking began in January 2007, all but one shark encounter at Second Beach has ended in a fatality, bringing the toll to eight fatalities in five years at a beach that had gone nearly 110 years without a recorded attack beforehand. This could be down to the fact bull sharks have breeding grounds near the Umzimvubu River mouth and a run of bad luck that scientists still can't explain. Authorities and marine biologists have explored a variety of deterrent and mitigation methods over the years, though challenges remain unique to the Wild Coast – for instance, nets cannot be used. Traditional KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board nets and baited hooks, deployed at other South African beaches, cannot survive the decent-sized swells that run along this stretch of coastline when it gets cooking.

Réunion Island: 56 attacks, 28 fatal

There's at least one , world-class throttling, left-hand pointbreak on Reunion, where surfing was formally banned and locals still paddled out anyway. Since 1913, there have been 56 shark attacks recorded on Réunion, 28 of them fatal, one of the harshest rates anywhere in the world. It's the kind of stat that makes you understand why a 2015 study found the island had the highest shark-death rate per capita on the planet. However, following a decade-long "shark crisis" that damaged local tourism and surf culture, officials have reopened designated surf zones using a combination of defence technologies. A government ban on surfing and swimming outside these protected areas is still there. Réunion has produced some stellar world-class talent, including Jeremy Flores and Johanne Defay (who was financially backed by Flores for a bit.)

California: 221 incidents

The Golden State's Red Triangle has a bit of a stake in surf and shark folklore. There have been 221 recorded shark incidents off California since 1950, 16 of them fatal, with the most recent death being a 26-year-old surfer bitten in waters off San Diego County. As mentioned above, within that count, La Jolla stands out on its own, with 12 documented incidents, every one a great white. California experiences a notable number of great white shark interactions -- and this could be due to the vast populations of their primary prey like seals and sea lions. Drone and aquatic tagging are happening along the coastline as officials look to mitigate any shark incidents.

Eastern Cape, South Africa: 248 incidents

Yes, we all watched Mick Fanning's J-Bay entanglement with a pearly great white way back in 2015. One of the most heart-in-mouth moments of live streamed surfing ever. And what of poor Julian Wilson, who sprint paddled towards Mick to help him. No backing down, no cowering away, just full fight mode. Of South Africa's 248 recorded shark incidents since 1908, 103 have gone down along this eastern stretch of coast. Nature's pendulum is a crazy thing, one of the world's best waves, J-Bay, can also be one of the worst places to get tapped by a shark. Still, South Africa has been managing shark attack risk through localized non-lethal deterrents rather than shark nets. This is because nets are becoming increasingly phased out due to environmental concerns. World-class points don't come without a catch.

New Smyrna Beach, Florida, USA: 300 plus attacks

The self-proclaimed "shark bite capital of the world," and nobody's arguing. More than 300 unprovoked shark attacks have been recorded here since tracking began in 1882.