Shark Watch: Top 10 most dangerous beaches involving shark attacks, surfer deaths

Florida waters have worn the crown as the king of shark attacks for the last decade.

There have been 259 shark bites in the Sunshine State since 2012, according to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF).

The only other states that recorded enough shark attacks to even be a footnote on the list are Hawaii and South Carolina, with 76 and 49, respectively. 

A study by a law firm incorporated shark bites in a report that rated the most dangerous beaches in the United States. 

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A great white shark swims in the waters off of California. (Photo by Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

Not surprisingly, the top 10 most dangerous beaches are all in Florida, according to Simmrin Law's report, and 24 of the top 25 are Sunshine State shores. 

Only Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, broke into the top 25. That location had 24 surf zone deaths and shark attacks, as well as 33 hurricanes, according to Fox Tampa.

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The experts also took into account other dangers, such as hurricanes and rip tides, and graded the country's most dangerous beaches. The higher the score out of 100, the more dangerous the beach. 

Here is the top 10, according to that law group.

Law enforcement remove a shark attack victim from Walton County, Florida beaches on June 7, 2024. (Walton County Sheriff)

A shark is seen swimming across a sandbar on Aug. 13, 2021 from a shark watch with Dragonfly Sportfishing charters, off the Massachusetts coast of Cape Cod. (AP Photo/Phil Marcelo, File)

10. Miramar Beach, 40.63

This is the only beach in the top 10 where a shark did not attack someone in 2023, according to Fox Tampa, based on the law firm's report. 

However, seven surfers died in these waters last year. 

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9. Melbourne Beach, 40.9

There were 19 recorded shark attacks in 2023, according to KTSM, citing Simmrin Law's report. 

Most of the victims were surfers, KTSM reported. 

8. Indialantic Beach, 41.02

Eight people at Indialantic Beach were attacked by sharks, and six surfers died in the rough waters.

7. Ponce Inlet, 41.54

In Ponce Inlet, there were 34 shark attacks and two surfer deaths, KTSM reported.

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6. Ormond Beach, 41.57

This beach nearly cracked the top five most dangerous beaches in the country because of its rip currents, which claimed the lives of six surfers. 

Florida, which has 1,350 miles of coastline, once again dominated the U.S. bite total, the study says. Percentages in these charts are approximations. (Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File)

5. Cocoa Beach, 46.35

Cocoa Beach waters were a shark feeding frenzy in 2023, with 26 recorded attacks in 2023, but none were fatal.

4. Miami Beach, 47.78

Miami Beach's dangers really do not have much to do with sharks or dead surfers; it is seemingly hurricane season all the time. 

It has experienced a total of 126 hurricanes, KTSM reported. 

Hurricanes make Miami Beach one of the most dangerous beaches. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The white sands and turquoise ocean of beautiful Miami Beach, Florida, as shot from an altitude of about 500 feet during a helicopter photo flight. (Credit: iStock)

3. Daytona Beach, 60.01

Taking the bronze medal that it likely did not want is Daytona Beach, which had 141 recorded shark attacks, the second most in the country, according to KTSM. 

2. Panama City Beach, 67.75

Last year, 32 surfers died off the coast of Panama City Beach, which was closed to the public on June 23 because of life-threatening rip currents, AL.com reported.

1. New Smyrna Beach, 76.04

Nicknamed the "shark bite capital of the world," New Smyrna Beach recorded 186 shark attacks in 2023, and its location along the Atlantic makes it prone to hurricane devastation. 

Crowds enjoy the beach on May 29, 2021 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

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Michael Simmrin said in a statement with the report that shark attacks "grab headlines," but Florida's beaches rank so high in terms of dangers because of "the ever-present hurricane risk." 

"Hurricanes create dangerous rip currents and storm surge, raising the overall risk for beachgoers," Simmrin said. 

"With summer approaching and vacations on the minds of many Americans, this study shows the importance of putting safety first when considering a trip to the beach."