---
title: Australian Shark-Incident Database
resource: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/
publisher: Taronga Conservation Society Australia
licence: CC BY 4.0
licence_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
version: 2026-09-03
as_at: 2026-09-02
rows: 1306
fields: 71
source: https://zenodo.org/api/records/22262542/files/Australian%20Shark-Incident%20Database%20Public%20Version.xlsx/content
source_sha256: 801b9b4d1317211285e643f354d675a88fde5faec66f0b1f440dec88244dffbf
language: en-AU
operator: National Digital
not_endorsed: true
---

# Australian Shark-Incident Database

Every recorded shark incident in Australian waters since 1791, about 1,300 rows, with date, state, location and coordinates, the shark species and size, the person's activity and injury, and the conditions. Updated with each Zenodo release.

Published by Taronga Conservation Society Australia under CC BY 4.0 and republished here in other formats, with cells typed and suppressed values made null. Taronga Conservation Society Australia has not endorsed this site.

Also called: Australian Shark Attack File, Shark attack database Australia, Shark attacks by year and state, ASID Taronga.

## Download

Latest version, redirects to `https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/v/2026-09-03/`:

- csv: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/latest/data.csv (556 KB)
- xlsx: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/latest/data.xlsx (273 KB)
- json: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/latest/data.json (2.5 MB)
- geojson: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/latest/data.geojson (2.6 MB)
- parquet: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/latest/data.parquet (125 KB)
- sqlite: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/latest/data.sqlite (578 KB)
- duckdb: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/latest/data.duckdb (700 KB)
- gpkg: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/latest/data.gpkg (696 KB)
- geo.parquet: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/latest/data.geo.parquet (128 KB)
- ndjson: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/latest/data.ndjson (2.5 MB)
- arrow: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/latest/data.arrow (189 KB)
- csv.gz: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/latest/data.csv.gz (106 KB)

Pinned version 2026-09-03: `https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/v/2026-09-03/data.<format>`. Dated versions never change.

## Query

The query API returns only the rows you ask for, as JSON, NDJSON or CSV, from the same typed rows as the files. It needs no key. Rows: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/au-shark-incidents/rows. Counts and sums: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/au-shark-incidents/aggregate.

- Rows: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/au-shark-incidents/rows?victim_injury=eq.fatal&limit=5
- Aggregate: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/au-shark-incidents/aggregate?group=shark_common_name&metric=count&victim_injury=eq.fatal

Each filter is `field=operator.value` in the query string, and every filter must match. A number or date field compares as a number or date, and a text field compares as text. Values are case-sensitive except with `ilike`. Prefix `not.` to negate a filter, as `not.eq.value`. Operators: `eq.value`, `neq.value`, `gt.value`, `gte.value`, `lt.value`, `lte.value`, `like.*text*`, `ilike.*text*`, `in.(a,b,c)`, `is.null`.

- `select`: Fields to return, comma-separated. Every field when absent.
- `order`: `field.asc` or `field.desc`, comma-separated. The publisher's row order when absent.
- `limit`: Rows per page, 1 to 10,000. 100 when absent.
- `offset`: Rows to skip. The `next` URL in each answer sets it for you.
- `group`: On `aggregate`, fields to group by, comma-separated.
- `metric`: On `aggregate`, `count`, `sum.field`, `avg.field`, `min.field` or `max.field`, comma-separated. `count` when absent.
- `format`: `json`, `ndjson` or `csv`. JSON carries the provenance header, and the others carry it in response headers.

Without a version the API answers from the newest loaded version, and that answer changes when the publisher releases again. Put `versions/<date>/` before `rows` or `aggregate` for an answer that never changes. `/api/v1/datasets/<slug>/versions` lists the loaded versions. The API allows 60 requests in 10 seconds from one address. Above that it answers 429 for 10 seconds with a `Retry-After` header, a `RateLimit-Policy` header and a JSON body that gives the limit. Every API answer carries the same `RateLimit-Policy`. A client should wait the `Retry-After` seconds, or read the files, which have no limit. OpenAPI for this dataset: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/openapi.json

## Explore

Charts and dashboards in the browser: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/explore/. A dashboard can be shared as a link or embedded.

## Fields

| field | type | publisher's header | note |
|---|---|---|---|
| `uin` | string | UIN |  |
| `incident_month` | integer | Incident.month |  |
| `incident_year` | integer | Incident.year |  |
| `victim_injury` | string | Victim.injury |  |
| `state` | string | State | As recorded; the file mixes Qld and QLD and other spellings, kept as published. |
| `location` | string | Location |  |
| `latitude` | number | Latitude |  |
| `longitude` | number | Longitude |  |
| `site_category` | string | Site.category |  |
| `site_category_comment` | string | Site.category.comment |  |
| `shark_common_name` | string | Shark.common.name |  |
| `shark_scientific_name` | string | Shark.scientific.name |  |
| `shark_identification_method` | string | Shark.identification.method |  |
| `shark_identification_source` | string | Shark.identification.source |  |
| `shark_length_m` | string | Shark.length.m | As recorded, sometimes a range or a word rather than a figure. |
| `basis_for_length` | string | Basis.for.length |  |
| `provoked_unprovoked` | string | Provoked/unprovoked |  |
| `provocative_act` | string | Provocative.act |  |
| `no_sharks` | integer | No.sharks |  |
| `victim_activity` | string | Victim.activity |  |
| `fish_speared` | string | Fish.speared? |  |
| `commercial_dive_activity` | string | Commercial.dive.activity |  |
| `object_of_bite` | string | Object.of.bite |  |
| `present_at_time_of_bite` | string | Present.at.time.of.bite |  |
| `direction_first_strike` | string | Direction.first.strike |  |
| `shark_behaviour` | string | Shark.behaviour |  |
| `victim_aware_of_shark` | string | Victim.aware.of.shark |  |
| `shark_captured` | string | Shark.captured |  |
| `injury_location` | string | Injury.location |  |
| `injury_severity` | string | Injury.severity |  |
| `victim_gender` | string | Victim.gender |  |
| `victim_age` | string | Victim.age |  |
| `victim_clothing` | string | Victim.clothing |  |
| `clothing_coverage` | string | Clothing.coverage |  |
| `dominant_clothing_colour` | string | Dominant.clothing.colour |  |
| `other_clothing_colour` | string | Other.clothing.colour |  |
| `clothing_pattern` | string | Clothing.pattern |  |
| `fin_colour` | string | Fin.colour |  |
| `diversionary_action_taken` | string | Diversionary.action.taken |  |
| `diversionary_action_outcome` | string | Diversionary.action.outcome |  |
| `people_under_3m` | integer | People <3m |  |
| `people_3_15m` | integer | People 3-15m |  |
| `time_of_incident` | string | Time.of.incident |  |
| `depth_of_incident_m` | string | Depth.of.incident.m | As recorded, sometimes a range or a word rather than a figure. |
| `teeth_recovered` | string | Teeth.recovered |  |
| `time_in_water_min` | string | Time.in.water.min | As recorded, sometimes a range or a word rather than a figure. |
| `water_temperature_c` | number | Water.temperature.°C |  |
| `total_water_depth_m` | string | Total.water.depth.m | As recorded, sometimes a range or a word rather than a figure. |
| `water_visability_m` | number | Water.visability.m |  |
| `distance_to_shore_m` | number | Distance.to.shore.m |  |
| `spring_or_neap_tide` | string | Spring.or.neap.tide |  |
| `tidal_cycle` | string | Tidal.cycle |  |
| `wind_condition` | string | Wind.condition |  |
| `weather_condition` | string | Weather.condition |  |
| `air_temperature_c` | number | Air.temperature.°C |  |
| `personal_protective_device` | string | Personal.protective.device |  |
| `deterrent_brand_and_type` | string | Deterrent.brand.and.type |  |
| `data_source` | string | Data.source |  |
| `reference` | string | Reference |  |
| `sa2_2021_code` | string | (spine: sa2) | Code of the Statistical Area Level 2 (2021) the point falls in. Joined by location from abs-sa2-2021, not published by the publisher. |
| `sa2_2021_name` | string | (spine: sa2) | Name of the Statistical Area Level 2 (2021) the point falls in. Joined by location from abs-sa2-2021, not published by the publisher. |
| `lga_2025_code` | string | (spine: lga) | Code of the Local Government Area (2025) the point falls in. Joined by location from abs-lga-2025, not published by the publisher. |
| `lga_2025_name` | string | (spine: lga) | Name of the Local Government Area (2025) the point falls in. Joined by location from abs-lga-2025, not published by the publisher. |
| `sal_2021_code` | string | (spine: suburb) | Code of the Suburb and Locality (2021) the point falls in. Joined by location from abs-suburbs-localities-2021, not published by the publisher. |
| `sal_2021_name` | string | (spine: suburb) | Name of the Suburb and Locality (2021) the point falls in. Joined by location from abs-suburbs-localities-2021, not published by the publisher. |
| `poa_2021_code` | string | (spine: postcode) | Code of the Postal Area (2021) the point falls in. Joined by location from abs-postal-areas-2021, not published by the publisher. |
| `poa_2021_name` | string | (spine: postcode) | Name of the Postal Area (2021) the point falls in. Joined by location from abs-postal-areas-2021, not published by the publisher. |
| `sed_2025_code` | string | (spine: state_electorate) | Code of the State Electoral Division (2025) the point falls in. Joined by location from abs-state-electoral-divisions-2025, not published by the publisher. |
| `sed_2025_name` | string | (spine: state_electorate) | Name of the State Electoral Division (2025) the point falls in. Joined by location from abs-state-electoral-divisions-2025, not published by the publisher. |
| `ced_2025_code` | string | (spine: federal_electorate) | Code of the Commonwealth Electoral Division (2025) the point falls in. Joined by location from abs-federal-electoral-divisions-2025, not published by the publisher. |
| `ced_2025_name` | string | (spine: federal_electorate) | Name of the Commonwealth Electoral Division (2025) the point falls in. Joined by location from abs-federal-electoral-divisions-2025, not published by the publisher. |

Key: `uin`.

## Versions

- 2026-09-03 as at 2 September 2026: 1306 rows, 71 fields, sha256 801b9b4d1317. https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/v/2026-09-03/

Machine-readable: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/versions.json, https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/changes.json, https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/datapackage.json, https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/schema.json, https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/history.tar.zst

## Same subject, other publishers

- [Crocodile captures, Northern Territory](https://publicdata.au/d/nt-crocodile-captures/) (NT)
- [Shark Control Program catches by length and sex, Queensland](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/) (Qld)
- [Shark Control Program catch numbers, Queensland](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-numbers/) (Qld)
- [Shark Control Program catches in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-gbr-catches/) (Qld)

## Attribution and citation

Taronga Conservation Society Australia, with Flinders University and the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Australian Shark-Incident Database, sourced 30 September 2026, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5612259, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

The licence requires the publisher's attribution. We ask that you also name publicdata.au and link to the version you used.

Plain text: Taronga Conservation Society Australia, with Flinders University and the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Australian Shark-Incident Database, sourced 30 September 2026, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5612259, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Serialised and versioned by National Digital at publicdata.au, https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/v/2026-09-03/

Harvard: Taronga Conservation Society Australia (2026) Australian Shark-Incident Database, version 2026-09-03 [data set], CC BY 4.0, sourced 30 September 2026. Serialised and versioned by National Digital at publicdata.au. Available at: https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/v/2026-09-03/

Markdown: Data: [Australian Shark-Incident Database](https://zenodo.org/records/22262542), Taronga Conservation Society Australia, [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), sourced 30 September 2026. Files: [publicdata.au](https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/v/2026-09-03/) by [National Digital](https://nationaldigital.com.au/).

## Questions

### How do I download Australian Shark-Incident Database as a CSV file?

Open https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/latest/data.csv. It redirects to the newest dated version, which is https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/v/2026-09-03/data.csv today. The same path serves Excel, JSON, GeoJSON, Parquet, SQLite, DuckDB, GeoPackage, GeoParquet, NDJSON, Arrow. A dated URL never changes, so use it when the file must stay the same.

### Can I open Australian Shark-Incident Database in Excel?

Yes. https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/v/2026-09-03/data.xlsx is a workbook with the 1,306 rows on a records sheet, the field list on a second sheet and the provenance on a third. The CSV also opens in Excel. https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/v/2026-09-03/data.csv.gz is the CSV at about a tenth of the size.

### What years does Australian Shark-Incident Database cover?

The current version covers 1791 to 2026, as at 2 September 2026. Each release from Taronga becomes a new dated version here, and earlier versions stay online.

### How often is Australian Shark-Incident Database updated?

Taronga releases it yearly. This site checks the portal every week and adds a dated version when the file changes.

### Can I use Australian Shark-Incident Database commercially?

Yes. CC BY 4.0 allows commercial use, redistribution and derived works as long as the attribution is kept. The attribution string is in this page's side column and inside every file.

### Is this the official source for Australian Shark-Incident Database?

No. The publisher is Taronga Conservation Society Australia, and its page is https://zenodo.org/records/22262542. This site republishes the publisher's file without changing its content. The original sits beside every version as source.xlsx with its SHA-256, so the two can be compared.

### What coordinate system does Australian Shark-Incident Database use?

Coordinates as recorded, in decimal degrees; many are approximate. The GeoJSON file uses the same coordinates, which is what GeoJSON expects.

### Which SA2, council area, suburb, postcode, state electorate and federal electorate is each row of Australian Shark-Incident Database in?

Each row with coordinates carries the SA2 (2021), Council area (LGA 2025), Suburb or locality (2021), Postcode (postal area 2021), State electorate (2025) and Federal electorate (2025) its point falls in, with the code of each. This site joins them by location against the ABS boundaries, https://publicdata.au/d/abs-sa2-2021/, https://publicdata.au/d/abs-lga-2025/, https://publicdata.au/d/abs-suburbs-localities-2021/, https://publicdata.au/d/abs-postal-areas-2021/, https://publicdata.au/d/abs-state-electoral-divisions-2025/, https://publicdata.au/d/abs-federal-electoral-divisions-2025/, and Taronga did not publish them. The schema marks each one as joined and names the boundary version. A row without coordinates, or a point outside every area, has them blank. Place columns from Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3 boundaries, Australian Bureau of Statistics, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

### What is an incident?

Any recorded interaction in Australian waters where a shark bit or attempted to bite a person, or a person's equipment with the person present, from 1791 to today, with the outcome, location, activity, species and the conditions where they are known. The database is maintained by Taronga with Flinders University and the NSW Department of Primary Industries, and grew out of the Australian Shark Attack File kept since 1984.

### Why are so many cells blank?

The record for an old incident may hold no more than a date, a place and an outcome, and even recent records are compiled from reports that vary in detail. A blank cell means the detail was not recorded.

### Where does the file come from?

The database is published on Zenodo under CC BY 4.0, with a new version roughly twice a year. Each version here follows the newest Zenodo version of the concept record, and its DOI is in the provenance.

## What this site did to the data

Cells were typed, headers were renamed to snake_case and the encoding was made UTF-8. Rows were left alone. Nothing is derived. The publisher's file is beside every version as `source.xlsx`.

## Improve this dataset

This page is built from [register/au-shark-incidents.yaml](https://github.com/National-Digital/publicdata.au/blob/main/register/au-shark-incidents.yaml) on GitHub, and a fix to it is welcome as a pull request. https://publicdata.au/contribute/ explains how.