From New Smyrna Beach and Cape Cod to Maui and Oahu, these are the 10 sharkiest beaches in America, where migration routes, nurseries, and abundant marine life attract sharks.
Ever since Jaws taught us to fear sharks and the ocean, sharks have gotten a terrible rap. Yes, sharks do occasionally bite humans, and unfortunately, these encounters become instant viral headlines. But the real truth is that humans kill an estimated 100 million sharks a year, so frankly, sharks have far more reason to fear us than we do them. Still, it pays to be smart in the water. From beaches with the most recorded shark bites to coastal areas known as hunting grounds, nurseries, or migration routes, these are 10 of America’s sharkiest beaches.
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New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Often called the shark bite capital of the world, New Smyrna Beach sits in Volusia County, Florida, the county with the highest number of confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in the state. According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), Volusia County has recorded 303 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks from 1882 to the present. In 2025, the county recorded six bites. Tideschart ranked New Smyrna Beach the dubious winner among America’s shark-bite beaches. Part of the reason for the area’s shark activity is its biodiversity. New Smyrna Beach is connected to the Indian River Lagoon, which supports more than 2,200 animal species and serves as a nursery for sharks, including bonnethead, bull, spinner, blacktip, and Atlantic sharpnose sharks.
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Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts
Cape Cod National Seashore protects 40 miles of Atlantic coastline in Massachusetts, including Nauset Light Beach and Newcomb Hollow Beach. The area has become a significant great white shark habitat, largely because both white sharks and gray seals have rebounded after decades of overhunting and legal protection. Still, shark bites remain rare. The region’s most notable recent incident was the 2018 death of 26-year-old Arthur Medici of Revere, who was bitten while boogie boarding off Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet. It was Massachusetts’ first fatal shark attack since 1936. Weeks earlier, another man was seriously injured by a shark nearby.
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Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach is best known as a Gilded Age luxury resort town for celebrities, but the coastline also has high shark activity. According to the International Shark Attack File’s Florida county data, Palm Beach County has recorded 76 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks since 1882. In July 2025, at least six shark bite survivors gathered at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, where many had been treated, and most said they would still return to the ocean. A 2026 Journal of Coastal Research study also found that beach nourishment projects in northern Palm Beach County can create murkier water during blacktip shark migration, when thousands of sharks congregate in the popular swimming area, possibly increasing accidental encounters.
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Solana Beach, California
Solana Beach sits in San Diego County, California’s shark bite capital, though the county still trails far behind Florida’s sharkiest regions. Like many Southern California beaches, this walkable North County is sharky, with 1.7 miles of beachfront, surf breaks, and tide pools, especially around Tide Beach Park. It is also near juvenile great white shark habitat, where young sharks often gather in shallow water to avoid predators. Even so, bites remain extremely rare compared with the number of people and sharks sharing the ocean. In April 2026, a dead whale near San Elijo Campground drew feeding sharks and prompted warnings, but no swimmers or surfers were injured.
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Cocoa Beach, Florida
Cocoa Beach, the laid-back Space Coast surf town where Kelly Slater grew up surfing, has six miles of shoreline. It also sits within Brevard County, whose 72 miles of Atlantic coastline are an important sea turtle nesting area. Tideschart ranked Cocoa Beach third among U.S. beaches for recorded shark attacks, with 39 incidents from 1642 through 2024. Just north of Cocoa Beach, fishermen spotted a massive great white shark swimming peacefully by their boat off Cape Canaveral in March 2026. Although the area is frequented by sharks, bites are rare. One of the last widely reported Cocoa Beach incidents was in July 2023, when 12-year-old Magnolia Woodhead was bitten while swimming and needed 50 stitches.
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Olowalu Beach, Maui
On Maui’s west coast, Olowalu is known for clear water, sea turtles, and flourishing coral reefs. It is also one of Hawaii’s sharkier coastal areas. Maui has the highest frequency of shark bites among the Hawaiian Islands, and a 2026 University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa study identified Olowalu as a documented mating hub for tiger sharks. Researchers found that tiger sharks gather there during Maui’s whale season, which helps explain the area’s frequent sightings. In May 2026, a Maui couple kayaking off Olowalu fought off a large tiger shark after it bit their kayak and held on, but no one was injured.
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Ocracoke Beach, North Carolina
Part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Ocracoke Beach is known for its warmer Atlantic waters and waves that draw swimmers, surfers, and bodyboarders, though rip currents pose a greater risk than sharks. Still, sharks regularly pass through Outer Banks waters. OCEARCH has tracked Cross, a widely viral 16-foot, 3,456-pound juvenile white shark, near Ocracoke, and last month, three other white sharks were reportedly detected along the North Carolina coast within hours of one another. The most recent incident seems to be a minor bite at Ocracoke’s lifeguard beach in July 2024.
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Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach sits in the heart of South Carolina’s Grand Strand, a 60-mile stretch of coastline known for the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, golf courses, waterparks, theaters, and restaurants. Tideschart ranked Myrtle Beach among America’s sharkier beaches. Warm, sometimes murky water and nearby fishing activity can increase the possibility of accidental encounters, though experts stress that people are not shark prey and bites remain rare, despite heavy beach crowds. The area is also home to more than 15 smaller and non-aggressive shark species, and beachgoers can often find fossilized shark teeth along the sand.
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Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach may be best known for its spring break crowds and the Daytona International Speedway, but it also sits in Volusia County, Florida’s shark bite capital. Tideschart ranked Daytona Beach second among U.S. beaches for recorded shark attacks, with 67 incidents since 1642. That is far below the numbers in nearby New Smyrna Beach and minuscule compared with the millions of people who visit Daytona Beach each year. It also appears to be a shark migration area. This past January, OCEARCH tracked Contender, the largest male white shark recorded in the Atlantic, as it passed through. At nearly 14 feet and more than 1,600 pounds, he is massive, but notably not known for biting anyone.
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North Shore, Oahu
Hit by major flooding in March 2026 but again welcoming visitors, the North Shore is beloved for world-class waves, fewer crowds than Waikiki, and a growing luxury profile since Turtle Bay Resort became The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay in 2024. It is also shark country. North Shore Shark Adventures runs popular cage dives in the area. Shark advocate Ocean Ramsey regularly swims with tiger sharks in the area and brings guests on cage-free encounters. Although they were few and far between, there were shark attacks. Oahu has recorded 42 unprovoked shark encounters since 1828, second in Hawaii behind Maui. The region’s most recent deadly shark attack was the 2024 death of famed surfer Tamayo Perry near Mālaekahana.