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California saw a record-setting number of shark incidents in 2025. The revelation comes in a statement made to SF Gate by an information officer for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
Peter Tira of the CDFW reported the Golden State’s 10 shark incidents were “the highest total number of shark incidents recorded in a single year,” putting into context that “there were only three incidents with injuries last year, far below the highest year, which was 1974 with 7 injuries confirmed.”
California recorded its first shark attack of 2026 on January 13. That event occurred just north of the Gualala River, and 115 miles north of San Francisco in Mendocino county. A 26-year-old surfer said the incident felt like being hit by a car and “all of a sudden, I was shot out of the water.” He ultimately went to the hospital to receive stitches in his leg and his board was broken in half.
Just a few weeks prior, in mid-December of 2025, a woman was killed 230 miles away in Pacific Grove. The victim was an experienced triathlete who was with an open-water swimming group when she was attacked. The group all returned to shore fearing an attack had just happened, but the victim was not with them. Her body was found a week later.
A spokesperson for the California White Shark Project confirmed those were two of four shark bite incidents in just the past two months — a high number when considering how rare shark attacks are. For perspective, while the 10 incidents in 2025 may have been the highest total ever recorded, California’s coastline stretches 840 miles long. There are more than 240 public beaches in that space. And the California State Water Resources Control Board reports that there are more than 150 million day visits by tourists and locals each year.
