Hawaii Shark Attacks vs Other Popular Tourist Destinations
Browse more guides: United States travel | Americas destinations Hawaii Shark Attacks vs Other Popular Tourist Destinations Last updated: April 2026 · 11 min read Hawaii is mid-pack. So so so that's the unflashy answer most travel pieces won't give you. Pull the International Shark Attack File numbers and the picture is clear: Florida logs the most unprovoked shark attacks in the United States (around 16 in 2023, ~30+ in higher years), Australia carries the highest fatality count among major beach nations, and Reunion Island holds the unwanted title of highest per-capita shark risk on Earth. Hawaii sits in the middle with roughly 8 to 10 unprovoked attacks per year, clustered around Maui, Oahu, and the Big Island, with a fatal attack happening every few years on average. The fear, in other words, is mismatched to the math. TL;DR: Hawaii isn't the riskiest shark destination, not even close. Reunion Island and Western Australia carry significantly higher per-capita r...