Sharks claim Florida’s coasts. Alligators own the interior.
Volusia County is the undisputed shark bite capital of the state, accounting for 28 incidents over five years, more than double any other county in the state. New Smyrna Beach, which sits within Volusia, is widely recognized by researchers as the shark bite capital of the world, a title driven largely by the area’s surf conditions, murky water, and high volume of swimmers and surfers sharing water with feeding blacktip and spinner sharks.
Brevard County comes in second among coastal counties with nine incidents, followed by Palm Beach at six and St. Johns and Duval counties at five each. Incidents thin out significantly heading down the southwest coast, with Manatee, Sarasota, and Lee counties each recording just one or two bites.
Inland, the picture shifts to alligators. Orange County leads with 14 documented attacks, reflecting both the density of Central Florida’s lake system and the region’s population. Osceola follows at 10, with Polk at nine and Hillsborough at eight. Seminole County, which saw a fatal alligator attack in the Little Big Econ River in June 2026, recorded seven incidents.
Alligator mating season runs May through June, a period when the reptiles are more active and more likely to appear in unexpected locations including residential canals, retention ponds, and swimming areas. FWC recommends keeping a safe distance from any body of fresh water in Florida and never swimming in areas where alligators are known to live.
The data is sourced from the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Individual incidents may go unreported, and figures represent documented cases only.
