INTERNATIONAL SHARK ATTACK FILE · HISTORICAL RECORD
Relative likelihood of an unprovoked shark bite by county, shaded from all-time confirmed records (since 1882) on actual Florida county geography. Tap or hover any county for detail. Volusia County’s New Smyrna Beach is the most-bitten stretch of coastline on Earth.
Data: Florida Museum of Natural History, International Shark Attack File (all-time confirmed unprovoked bites, 1882–2025). County boundaries are real US Census geometry. Counts are cumulative historical records; the Atlantic (east) coast carries the highest concentration, with Volusia an extreme outlier. Heat reflects raw bite counts, not bites-per-swimmer — high-traffic tourist beaches drive much of the elevated risk. Absolute risk remains very low: Florida averages roughly one shark-related fatality every several years.