As recently as late May 2025, a swimmer was injured off the coast of North Carolina’s Sunset Beach. Local authorities estimate the individual’s leg wound was most likely caused by a shark. Though the North Carolina beachgoer required medical attention following the incident, they avoided fatal injury and are expected to make a full recovery. Shark attacks are not common in the state of North Carolina, but this recent incident reminds us that sharks inhabit all waters along the Atlantic coast. Shark bites are possible, even in waist-deep water, in most areas off the N.C. coast. Case in point: Sunset Beach does not even make this list.
North Carolina has a total of 117 shark attack records, 97 being unprovoked. The Global Shark Attack File includes data about all shark attacks reported, even though scientists couldn’t confirm the circumstances for some incidents. They group the attacks into provoked and unprovoked attacks, incidents involving sea or watercraft disasters, and questionable incidents (noted as “unknown” in this article).
The details about these questionable incidents are unclear – some have not yet been confirmed to have involved a shark. At the same time, some do not have enough evidence to indicate the true cause of death: drowning or the shark attack. While 100%-accurate data is difficult to discern, these statistics help outline a general image of where and how often shark attacks occur in North Carolina. Let’s look at some overall statistics and then find out more about the 8 North Carolina places with the most shark attacks!
This post was updated on July 13, 2025 to include the presumed shark attack at Sunset Beach, North Carolina.
8 places in North Carolina with the most shark attacks
Emerald Isle has the highest number of shark attacks in North Carolina—10. Fortunately, none were fatal. People involved were either swimming or surfing. Eight episodes were unprovoked, and two did not present sufficient information to be categorized.
The first attack on Emerald Isle happened on September 25, 1971, to a surfer named J. Homer, aged 17.
Shark attacks in the region started being more common in 2000. On August 21, 2000, a man was bitten by a shark that almost severed his hand. Other attacks happened in 2002, 2008, 2016, and 2020. The last reported attack occurred on October 21, 2020, and has not yet been confirmed to have involved a shark.
Luckily, none of the nine shark attacks at North Topsail Beach was fatal. The first occurred on September 15, 2001. Dale Fulcher, Jr., a 16-year-old boy, was surfing when a shark bit his foot.
Another incident occurred a few years later, on September 5, 2005, when a bull shark severely lacerated Elizabeth Gardner’s calf. Other attacks occurred in 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011. Two of them took place in Surf City, Topsail Island.
The last attack at North Topsail Beach involved a 43-year-old woman named Tracy Fasick. She was swimming when a shark bit her, leaving lacerations to her right ankle and calf. The incident occurred on July 8, 2012.
The first suspected attack at Wrightsville Beach occurred on October 8, 1989. It took place between Wrightsville Beach & Carolina Beach in New Hanover County. Supposedly, Doug Nunnally, a 49-year-old man, was attacked by a shark while diving. The attack was fatal. However, the shark’s involvement is only suspected, not yet confirmed.
Other incidents happened in 1995, 2000, 2002, and 2010. The last shark attack at Wrightsville Beach occurred on August 17, 2011, but few details are known about it, including whether a shark was involved in the incident. However, the evidence says that the victim was a 12-year-old boy who suffered abrasions to his left hand.
Ocracoke might be the North Carolina region with the highest number of fatal attacks—4 out of 7.
The first fatal North Carolina shark attack happened in this area, sometime between 1900 and 1905, and involved a member of the Coast Guard. The following fatal incident occurred in July 1905 to another Coast Guard member.
Other incidents occurred in 1945, 1988, and 2011. On July 1, 2015, Andrew Costello, a 68-year-old man, was bitten by a 6-7-foot-long shark and suffered injuries to his torso, hip, lower leg, and hands. The man was swimming at Lifeguard Beach when the shark attacked him.
Most of the attacks at Ocean Isle involved children, except one in 2019 that involved a 19-year-old man.
The first shark attack at Ocean Isle, Brunswick County, occurred on August 10, 1980. The incident involved a 10-year-old girl called Susan Waters. A shark bit her knee and lower leg while she was wading. Another child named Brooklyn Daniel, aged 6, was attacked under the same circumstances on June 18, 2012.
There is another record from 2012 of a child being bitten by a shark, but shark involvement has not yet been confirmed.
The last attack at Ocean Isle occurred on June 27, 2021, when a 7-year-old girl had her calf bitten by a shark while swimming.
All shark attacks at Masonboro Island and Masonboro Inlet were unprovoked. The first happened on August 19, 1986. J. McCorley was surfing when a shark bit his hand.
Almost ten years later, Michael Greenwood was swimming in the area when a shark bit his left arm. Other attacks happened in 2003, 2006, and 2014.
The last one occurred on August 24, 2014, to Miller Diggs, who suffered lacerations to her left foot. The shark measured 4 feet long.
Holden Beach has six records of shark attacks, all unprovoked and none fatal. The first attack in the area happened on June 30, 1940, when a 10-foot shark lacerated William T. Dye’s thigh while fishing.
Sixty years later, another shark attacked a human at Holden Beach. A gray-colored shark measuring 6 feet long attacked Tim Poynter, a 14-year-old boy, while surfing. Luckily, the animal left only minor injuries.
Three other incidents took place in 2005, 2009, and 2011. The last attack at Holden Beach occurred on July 11, 2013, and involved Barbara Corey, a 63-year-old woman whose right foot was bitten while walking through the water.
Among the places in North Carolina with the most shark attacks, Carolina Beach has the highest number of shark attacks that happened under unclear circumstances.
The first occurred on October 8, 1989, between Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach in New Hanover County. Doug Nunnally, a 49-year-old man, was diving late afternoon. He was found dead later, and shark involvement was suspected. However, this hasn’t yet been confirmed.
Another man was found dead in 1995. He had supposedly drowned, but scientists identified shark bites post-mortem.
Alexis Huesgen and Chris O’Connor were both attacked by a 6-foot shark on July 27, 2004, and August 12, 2005, respectively.
The last shark attack in the area occurred on July 13, 2008, and the circumstances are unknown. Scientists suppose that Donald Griffin, a 52-year-old man, collided with a marine animal, possibly a shark or a dolphin, during body surfing. He had bruises, abrasions, and spine and nerve damage.
Other places in North Carolina with shark attacks
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