Shark incidents occur throughout Hawaii

State records show there were a total of five shark attacks in Hawaii last year, including the tragedy that ended the life of well-known surfer and lifeguard Tamayo Perry on Oahu’s North Shore.

But other attacks during the year also caused injuries ranging from deep lacerations to the loss of a right leg below the knee, according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ shark incidents list.

One was considered a provoked incident because it occurred while the victim was swimming with sharks 3 miles offshore of Haleiwa, and one in Waikiki resulted in no injuries except for a bite to a surfboard by an 8- to 10-foot tiger shark. The species involved in the other cases were not identified.

Four occurred in waters off Oahu, while one occurred off Waiehu Beach Park on Maui. The surfer in that case, Kenji Nonaka, lost the lower part of his right leg in November.

The five incidents were fewer than the eight DLNR recorded in 2023. The incidents are added after the Division of Aquatic Resources completes its own investigation.

So far this year, one shark attack was reported Jan. 11 in another provoked incident involving swimming with sharks off Haleiwa. The victim suffered multiple lacerations to their left arm caused by a Galapagos shark.

Florida once again topped the list of locations with the most shark bites — 14 — in the world in 2024, according to an annual report by the Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File. Hawaii came in second in the report, which only lists four bites, possibility discounting the surfboard incident.

Perry became the victim of a fatal attack in June while surfing in waters off Goat Island at Malaekahana during a lifeguarding break. He was pronounced dead at the scene, having suffered the loss of his right forearm and severe lacerations to his right thigh.

Shark experts at the time said shark attacks remain a rare occurrence in Hawaii.

“Even in Hawaii, we know from quite recent experiences, you can sight sharks in and around surf spots and nothing happens,” said Kim Holland, a shark researcher, in a June interview. “The presence of the sharks are constant and the attacks are very rare.”

Holland, a professor at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology whose projects track the movement of sharks, said there are no “hot spots” for sharks around the isles.

“There’s basically nowhere in the Hawaiian islands where tiger sharks do not occur,” he said. “They occur in very shallow, and fairly deep water, and they occur far offshore.”

But in one of his studies, Holland and his team did determine that the protected shallow ocean shelf at a depth of less than 600 feet serves as a magnet for tiger sharks from near and far. Many of these areas are near popular beaches on Maui.

Last year, most shark incidents occurred on Oahu, with only one on Maui.

Historically, though, Maui has the highest total number of unprovoked shark attacks, at 76, followed by Oahu at 42, and Kauai at 33, according to data from the International Shark Attack File.

Holland said the “golden rule” is to not enter the ocean alone because in the event of a shark bite, shock and loss of blood can be reduced if someone else is there to help.

DLNR recommends staying out of the water at dawn, dusk and night, when some species of sharks may move inshore. Still, DLNR said, tiger sharks, the culprit in many of the Hawaii incidents, have bitten people at all times of the day.

In addition, people should not enter the water while bleeding or with open wounds; avoid murky waters, harbor entrances, areas near stream mouths and steep drop-offs; and not wear high-contrast clothing or shiny jewelry that sharks see well.

If fish or turtles start behaving erratically, DLNR advises leaving the water.

Source: DLNR’s Division of Aquatic Resources Shark Incidents List