Shark Attacks in Kenya

The Global Shark Attack File records 10 shark attacks in Kenya between 1947 and 2011. Of those, 6 were fatal (60.0%). The species most often involved is the 2.2 m shark.

Total recorded

Fatal

Fatality rate

60.0%

Global avg 21.1%

Years covered

1947–2011

Recorded incidents by year

Peak 1 (1947)Avg 1.0

194719712011

8 years of data, 1947–2011

Shark attacks in Kenya per year, 1947–2011
Year	Attacks
1947	1
1948	1
1958	1
1964	1
1971	1
1980	1
2009	1
2011	1

Species most often involved in Kenya

Species	Recorded incidents
2.2 m shark	1
2 m [6'9"] shark	1

Counts based on the species field in the Global Shark Attack File. Species identification in incident reports is not always reliable.

Activities most associated with incidents

Swimming4
Diving2
Washing his feet1
Spearfishing1
Fishing with hand line tied to wrist & was pulled into the water1

Recent recorded incidents in Kenya

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many shark attacks have been recorded in Kenya?

The Global Shark Attack File records 10 shark attacks in Kenya, of which 6 were fatal.

What is the shark attack fatality rate in Kenya?

60.0% of recorded shark attacks in Kenya are fatal, compared with a global average of 21.1%.

Which shark species are most often involved in attacks in Kenya?

Based on incident records, the species most frequently identified in Kenya attacks are 2.2 m shark, 2 m [6'9"] shark.

What activities are most associated with shark attacks in Kenya?

Swimming accounts for the largest share of recorded incidents in Kenya, with 4 cases logged.

Where does this shark attack data come from?

All figures are derived from the Global Shark Attack File (GSAF), a non-profit database of shark-human incident records. Shark Data Lab cleans, geocodes, and aggregates the GSAF dataset for analysis.