A chilling Mediterranean Great White sighting has exposed global shark hotspots, with experts revealing the world’s deadliest waters
A chilling Great White shark sighting in a European holiday hotspot has put beachgoers on high alert as the world’s most dangerous waters are laid bare. The monstrous predator was caught on camera between Sicily and Tunisia.
It is understood to be the first time an adult Great White has ever been filmed in the Mediterranean. While the terrifying footage might have summer tourists second-guessing a dip in the sea, experts insist there is no reason to panic.
Dr Lauren Smith, a shark expert at Saltwater Life, told the Daily Mail: “This shark was filmed far from coastal beach resorts and there is no reason for the public to be alarmed. The ocean is their domain, and encounters like this should inspire respect and appreciation rather than fear.”
If you are jetting off to Florida, however, you might want to keep your eyes peeled. The Sunshine State remains the undisputed shark attack capital of the world.
In 2025, it clocked 11 terrifying encounters, making up 17 per cent of all unprovoked bites on the planet. More than half of those terrifying moments happened in east-central Florida’s Volusia County.
According to the International Shark Files, which tracks unprovoked attacks dating back to the 1500s, last year was an exceptionally deadly one.
While the 65 global attacks sat slightly below the ten-year average of 72, nine proved fatal – well above the usual average of six.
The USA topped the global leaderboard with 25 bites, which accounted for a 38 per cent of the world total.
Meanwhile, Australia suffered one of its bloodiest years in recent history, recording 21 bites and surpassing its five-year average of 13.
Down Under also claimed the highest death toll, accounting for 56 per cent of all global fatalities. Australia’s waters are uniquely perilous because they are stalked by the “big three” – Bull sharks, tiger sharks and Great Whites.
Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History, said: “If these bites occurred anywhere other than Australia, they would probably have resulted in even more fatalities. Their beach safety is second to none. Within minutes of a bite, they’ve got helicopters airborne ready to respond.”
Emergency crews cannot always beat the clock in remote areas, though. In November, a Swiss couple in their 20s were savaged by a bull shark while filming dolphins.
While a quick-thinking bystander used a makeshift tourniquet to save the man, his partner tragically died before help arrived.
Elsewhere, a British surfer narrowly escaped disaster in the Canary Islands when a shark smashed into his hydrofoil board before biting his leg, forcing him to swim to shore with a deep thigh wound.
Statistically, swimmers and waders make up 46 per cent of all injuries, followed by surfers at 32 per cent and snorkelers at 15 per cent.
While human encounters remain steady, global shark numbers are actually crashing due to overfishing and climate change.
Mr Naylor added: “Out of the 1,200 species, 30 per cent of them are categorised as endangered. That’s a lot, especially because these animals have managed to persist for about 330 million years.”