Buzz
Once ocean swimming gained popularity in Victorian Britain as a health pursuit, beaches evolved from spaces used for work or gathering resources into recreational havens. Today, beaches are often depicted as idyllic getaways with coconut trees, soft white sands, beautiful women in bikinis, adventurous kitesurfers soaring through the air, and surfers riding the perfect waves—far from the dangerous places they once were.
Each day, millions of people across the globe flock to beaches for leisure and recreation. Whether it’s surfing, swimming, fishing, sunbathing, collecting seashells, jogging, walking dogs, clamming, or even napping, there’s no shortage of activities that make the beach a beloved destination.
However, beneath the peaceful facade, beaches also harbor a more menacing side—one that can be both unsettling and perilous. Let’s explore 10 of the most treacherous beaches on the planet.
10. Second Beach, Port St. Johns, Transkei Coast, South Africa
Second Beach in Port St. Johns is a generally pleasant vacation spot along the stunning Transkei coast of South Africa. Families have visited this location for generations. However, in recent times, Second Beach has gained notoriety as the most hazardous beach in South Africa.
With eight deadly shark attacks within five years involving surfers and swimmers, Second Beach might just be the deadliest beach in the world when it comes to shark encounters.
The Zambezi shark, also known as the Bull shark elsewhere, is thought to be responsible for the fatal shark attacks at Second Beach. These sharks can reach lengths of up to 2.5 meters (8 feet) and are known for their aggressive nature. Much like Tiger sharks, they tend to bite anything they come across in the water.
9. New Smyrna Beach, Florida, USA
Another beach notorious for shark attacks is New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County, Florida. This popular state-managed beach is always crowded with surfers and swimmers, averaging around 9 shark bites annually due to its constant flow of beachgoers.
Each year, massive schools of young fish migrate north along the Florida coastline, with millions of these creatures making the journey. As they travel, they attract a host of predators, including sea birds and sharks.
Luckily, the sharks trailing the baitfish schools near New Smyrna are typically juveniles, measuring no more than 2 meters (6 feet) long. The majority of these sharks’ bites are non-lethal, unlike encounters with larger sharks in other parts of the world.
8. Boa Viagem Beach, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
Boa Viagem, located in Recife, Pernambuco, in northeastern Brazil, is also one of the most dangerous beaches due to frequent shark activity. Situated in the heart of Recife, a city with a population of two million, Boa Viagem is a popular spot where locals embrace beach culture and engage in activities like swimming and surfing all year round.
Over the past two decades, more than 50 shark attacks have been recorded at Boa Viagem, with many proving fatal. In response, the beach has prohibited swimming and surfing in waters deeper than one meter (39 inches) since 1999.
Lifeguards are specially trained to handle shark injuries, with most incidents involving Bull and Tiger sharks, both large and aggressive species known for their dangerous behavior.
Despite numerous discussions over the years among experts about how to reduce shark attacks at Boa Viagem, no concrete plan has emerged, and the main strategy remains to keep people out of the water.
7. Sandy Beach, O’ahu, Hawaii, USA
Sandy Beach, located on O’ahu’s southeast Ka’iwi Coast, is locally dubbed “Broke Neck Beach” due to the powerful shore-break waves and the numerous injuries they cause to both visitors and residents. The beach is consistently hit by ocean swell from the northeast trade winds, resulting in short, intense waves that form hollow tubes and break on the steep, sandy shore. The beach is well-known for its excellent body surfing and bodyboarding opportunities, attracting both locals and tourists throughout the year.
The strong waves at Sandy Beach can throw surfers onto a shallow sandbar in difficult positions, causing many injuries, even to experienced body surfers. While most injuries are minor, like bruises and scrapes, some are more severe, including broken necks, pelvic fractures, and spinal injuries.
Sandy Beach boasts some of the most highly trained and experienced lifeguards in the Honolulu system, often called into action to apply their rescue and first-aid skills in real-world emergency situations.
6. Makua Beach, Haena, Kauai, Hawaii, USA
Makua Beach, often referred to as “Tunnels Beach” due to the nearby offshore surfing spot, is famously known as the location where 13-year-old Bethany Hamilton paddled out to catch a few waves with her friends on a sunny October day in 2013.
After catching one wave, she was paddling back out to the lineup when a large Tiger shark, estimated at 4 meters (12 feet) long, emerged from the depths and bit off her left arm cleanly at the shoulder.
This shocking shark encounter wasn’t the first at Makua Beach, a location known for large Tiger sharks among the local surfers. However, it became the most well-known. The attack, coupled with widespread media coverage, catapulted Hamilton to international fame as the “Shark Girl.”
Thanks to the quick response of her friends in stopping the blood loss and the treatment she received at a nearby hospital from skilled medical staff, Hamilton survived the ordeal. She later went on to become one of the top female professional surfers, a wife, and a mother. Her life story after the attack has been shared through a book and a film.
5. Esperance, Western Australia, Australia
Esperance, located in the southwest of Western Australia, is widely regarded as a perfect place for living, working, and raising a family. The town boasts stunning white sand beaches and ideal surfing conditions in the Indian Ocean. Almost everyone in the town is involved in sea-related jobs or hobbies, and the ocean plays a key role in both work and recreation for residents and visitors alike.
The town's tight-knit community has been deeply affected by three deadly shark attacks within three years, involving surfers and divers. All attacks were caused by Great White sharks, and many in the community are now calling for various shark mitigation measures, including shark nets, motion-sensor drumlines, and even the culling of dangerous sharks.
Due to limited research and available funding, the government's response has been restricted to issuing a public warning to avoid the water when sharks are known to be present.
Okuma, located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, was once a thriving coastal town.
Before the 2011 disaster, Okuma's beach was a popular spot for surfers, anglers, and beach lovers, drawing many to its shores.
On March 11, 2011, Japan experienced a catastrophic offshore earthquake, registering 9.0 on the Richter scale, the largest earthquake ever recorded in this seismically active nation. The Tohoku earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami that surged inland, flooding everything in its destructive path.
Among the casualties of the tsunami was the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) nuclear facility in Okuma, Fukushima. One of the waves, towering over 15 meters (50 feet), breached the concrete barriers around the reactors and flooded their diesel-powered cooling systems, resulting in a partial meltdown and radioactive release into the atmosphere.
A decade after the disaster, the area surrounding TEPCO's reactors remains a restricted zone. Surfers, fishermen, and other visitors are prohibited from entering, as contaminated water continues to leak from the reactors into the Pacific. The exclusion zone is expected to remain in place for many decades.
Nanwan, a vibrant tourist town in Kenting, Pingtung County, Taiwan, is a popular destination for travelers.
Located in the heart of southern Taiwan's Kenting region, Nanwan offers a variety of hotels and restaurants, attracting vacationers from across the island. The beach at Nanwan is known for its soft sand and abundance of beach amenities, including umbrellas, parasailing, jet skis, food, drinks, surfboards, and even massage services.
Nanwan beach can get very crowded, and a significant risk to safety comes from the unchecked use of jet skis and other watercraft. These vehicles often zoom along the shoreline, dangerously close to swimmers. Moreover, many of the beachgoers lack proper swimming skills or ocean experience, resulting in tragic drownings even on calm days with no noticeable waves.
Another major risk at Nanwan is its exposure to ocean swells caused by seasonal typhoons. While the large waves create excellent surfing conditions, they also pose a significant danger to unprepared tourists. Many beach visitors are unfamiliar with the power of ocean waves, and the presence of strong swells frequently leads to drowning accidents.
Trois Bassins, located on Réunion Island, a French territory, is another well-known destination worth mentioning.
Since 2011, the idyllic French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean has experienced an alarming rise in shark activity. With 19 incidents, seven of which were fatal, the island's essential tourism industry has suffered greatly. In response, many surfers have fled the island, opting to relocate to mainland France or Australia, as surfing on Réunion has become far too perilous.
Several theories have been proposed to explain the surge in shark attacks around Réunion, particularly on its west coast, which has seen a sharp increase in the presence of aggressive Bull and Tiger sharks.
Before 2011, shark incidents were virtually nonexistent on the west coast of Réunion. Despite various theories to explain the rise in shark numbers and attacks, such as the implementation of a no-take zone, none have been conclusively proven. Local authorities have attempted several measures, from culling large sharks to installing shark nets and banning surfing, but these efforts have proven largely ineffective.
Surfing, bodyboarding, and swimming in the waters around Réunion remain extremely dangerous activities.
1. Imperial Beach, California, USA
Imperial Beach is a charming coastal town located south of San Diego in California, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of the Mexican border. Known for its consistent and powerful waves, it has long been a favorite spot for surfers. The beach is also frequented by fishermen and other visitors who come to enjoy the Pacific Ocean, whether as residents or tourists.
What has made this town and its beach notorious in recent years is not something within the town itself or even within the United States.
A large wastewater treatment plant just across the border in Mexico processes wastewater from Tijuana, a bustling city of over two million residents that has grown significantly since the 1950s. The plant, however, is far beyond its intended capacity, routinely discharging vast amounts of raw sewage and industrial waste into the Pacific Ocean.
Ocean currents in the region flow from south to north, carrying up to 140 million liters (35 million gallons) of toxic waste daily from Mexico into Imperial Beach, the nearest populated area north of the border. Local authorities frequently issue warnings to avoid swimming, but they have limited power to stop or manage the sewage pollution, as it originates in another country.
To address some of the serious public health risks, efforts are underway to divert and treat some of the wastewater from Mexico in the U.S. before it is released into the ocean, with funding allocated for this purpose.
