Shark Attacks in Tonga

The Global Shark Attack File records 18 shark attacks in Tonga between 1852 and 2012. Of those, 6 were fatal (33.3%). The species most often involved is the tiger shark.

Total recorded

Fatal

Fatality rate

33.3%

Global avg 21.1%

Years covered

1852–2012

Recorded incidents by year

Peak 3 (1993)Avg 1.3

185219952012

14 years of data, 1852–2012

Shark attacks in Tonga per year, 1852–2012
Year	Attacks
1852	1
1858	1
1931	1
1958	1
1967	1
1980	1
1993	3
1995	2
2000	1
2002	1
2004	2
2006	1
2010	1
2012	1

Species most often involved in Tonga

Species	Recorded incidents
Tiger shark	2
small sharks	1
Invalid	1
Possibly a	1
Questionable Incident	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
Spearfishing3
Five men on makeshift raft after their 10 m fishing boat capsized and sank in rough seas. Survivors rescued after 7.5 hours in the water2
Fishing2
Sea disaster2

Recent recorded incidents in Tonga

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many shark attacks have been recorded in Tonga?

The Global Shark Attack File records 18 shark attacks in Tonga, of which 6 were fatal.

What is the shark attack fatality rate in Tonga?

33.3% of recorded shark attacks in Tonga are fatal, compared with a global average of 21.1%.

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

Based on incident records, the species most frequently identified in Tonga attacks are Tiger shark, small sharks, Invalid.

What activities are most associated with shark attacks in Tonga?

Swimming accounts for the largest share of recorded incidents in Tonga, 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.