Rio de Janeiro is one of the most famous cities in the world. Located in Brazil, the “Wonderful City” is known for iconic places like Maracanã, Christ The Redeemer, and amazing beaches such as Copacabana and Ipanema. As sharks are common in Brazil, some wonder if there are sharks in Rio de Janeiro.
There are 68 species of shark in Rio de Janeiro, considering the city and the state. Despite attacks being very rare, seeing sharks on the coast of Rio is common. Shortfin Mako Shark, Whale Shark, Bull Shark, Tiger Shark, Sandbar Shark, and the Blacktip shark are the most frequent species in Rio.
Considering the entire state of Rio de Janeiro, there are more than 240 kilometers of coast, full of beautiful beaches and excellent places to see sharks in their natural habitat. In this article, you’ll find out the most common species of sharks in Rio and learn about shark attacks registered in the area. We’ll bring a lot of great information, so keep reading.
Are There Any Sharks In Rio de Janeiro?
Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautiful places on Earth and an area with a lot of shark activity. Located in Brazil, the biggest country in South America, Rio de Janeiro refers to a city and a state, like in the United States with NYC and New York state.
Brazilian researchers have already registered 68 species of sharks living in the state of Rio de Janeiro, most of which can be found in the waters surrounding the “Wonderful City.” Sharks can be seen everywhere in the state, but the most frequent appearances are in Cabo Frio, Arraial Do Cabo, and Angra dos Reis.
Out of the 68 registered shark species in the state, those are the six most common species of sharks that can be found in Rio de Janeiro:
- Shortfin Mako Shark
- Whale Shark
- Bull Shark
- Tiger Shark
- Sandbar Shark
- Blacktip Shark
Shortfin Mako sharks, Whale sharks, and Tiger sharks are by far the most common species that can be found in Rio de Janeiro. Unfortunately, fishermen usually accidentally capture the Shortfin Makos in their fishnets, as many of them are in the area, and sometimes the sharks do not survive.
Whale sharks are also very common in Rio de Janeiro, especially in the cities of Cabo Frio and Arraial Do Cabo (some of the most beautiful beaches in the world). The water in such places is crystal clear, so it’s perfect for shark watching. Despite their gigantic size, Whale sharks are not considered aggressive. This way, boat rides can go very close to them, which gives spectacular views of these enormous animals in their natural habitat, as you can see in the following video.
Angra dos Reis, a fantastic place that became the refugee for the super-rich with fancy properties and exclusive islands, has Blacktip Sharks as its luxury dwellers. Finally, the Tiger sharks are most often found in the region of the lakes near Saquarema and Maricá. In the following section, you can find a complete guide showing details of each one of these species of shark found in Rio de Janeiro.
Talking about shark attacks, they are very rare in Rio de Janeiro. Since 1947, only nine attacks have been registered, with one fatal victim. The full information is in the section Sharks Attacks In Rio de Janeiro.
Related Article: Are There Sharks In The English Channel? (Full Guide)
Sharks In Rio de Janeiro: Species Guide
According to researchers, as shown in the publication “Identification Guide Of Sharks In Rio de Janeiro,” there are six orders, 20 families, 37 genera, and 68 species of sharks in Rio de Janeiro. However, in this section, we’ll focus on those species that are seen more often.
If you want to learn in detail about every single species of shark that was registered on the Rio de Janeiro coast, check this amazing academic work called “Identification Guide Of Sharks, Batoids And Chimaeroids From Rio de Janeiro State (Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii e Holocephali).” Here you can see all of the 68 species in detail. However, it’s important to notice that the article it’s written in Portuguese.
| Species | Scientific Name | Max Size | Aggressiveness |
| Shortfin Mako Shark | Isurus oxyrinchus | Up to 4 meters | Aggressive (Potentially Dangerous) |
| Whale Shark | Rhincodon typus | Up to 18 meters! | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Bull Shark | Carcharhinus leucas | 3,5 meters | Very Aggressive (Dangerous) |
| Tiger Shark | Galeocerdo cuvier | Up to 9 meters | Very Aggressive (Dangerous) |
| Sandbar Shark | Carcharhinus plumbeus | Up to 2 meters | Not Aggressive |
| Blacktip Shark | Carcharhinus limbatus | 2,5 meters | Aggressive (Potentially Dangerous) |
- Shortfin Mako Shark
Considered the fastest shark in the world, the Shortfin Mako is able to reach incredible speeds up to 43 mph (70 km/h). As described by the Florida Museum, this species is “hydrodynamically efficient with a pointed snout, triangular dorsal fin and large and a crescent-shaped caudal (tail) fin. It is a dark metallic blue on top and silvery white below, with a very distinct color break down its side.” It’s one of the most common species of shark that can be found in Rio de Janeiro.
- Whale Shark
Whale sharks are gigantic, with the largest confirmed individual reaching the length of 18.8 m (61.7 ft)! It’s known as the largest living nonmammalian vertebrate. This species is slow-moving, feeding almost exclusively on plankton and fish eggs, crustaceans, and schooling fish to occasional larger prey like squid or tuna. Despite their size, they are considered harmless to humans and will often interact docilely with divers. Whale sharks are found very often in Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro.
- Bull Shark
Bull sharks are also present on the coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro and all over Brazil. These large sharks are incredible because they can be found in salt and fresh water. According to Simpfendorfer and Burgess 2009, they have been recorded in rivers hundreds of miles from the sea but are most commonly found in marine, estuarine environments close to shore. Bull sharks can grow to a total length of about 3.5 meters. These animals were involved in several attacks on humans (many of them fatal) and are considered by many the most dangerous shark in the world.
- Tiger Shark
Tiger sharks are in the top 3 of the most found in Rio de Janeiro. These beautiful animals have a distinctive color pattern, with gray body and dark gray vertical bars that really makes them look like a Tiger. Despite being a large (reaching up to 5.5 m | 18 ft), slow-moving shark, it is a highly effective ambush predator. Tiger sharks are territorial and considered one of the most dangerous sharks to humans. Together with the Great White sharks and Bull sharks, these animals are referred to as “The Big Three” in terms of the number of attacks.
- Sandbar Shark
According to the Florida Museum, this brownish-gray shark has a recognizably large and triangular dorsal fin and somewhat long pectoral fins and averages 2 meters (6 ft). Also, this shark prefers sandy bottoms of coastal areas, the reason why it’s called Sandbar. The Sandbar shark feeds on smaller prey and avoids beaches and the surface, so it’s not considered a threat to humans. However, as it’s a big-sized animal, it can be potentially dangerous.
Blacktips are medium-sized sharks whose name comes from their marked black-tipped fins. They usually prefer to hunt and feed from small schooling fishes. As foragers of shallow waters (less than 100 ft), these sharks are frequently encountered by humans and were involved in a lot of attacks. However, they are not aggressive, and the cases of attacks are usually mistakes when they mistake a swimmer for a prey item.
Shark Attacks In Rio de Janeiro
Shark attacks are rare in Rio de Janeiro, and the last episode registered in the state dates back to 2003. However, there is a divergence in the official numbers: according to ISAF (International Shark Attack File), there have been 7 (seven) confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in Rio de Janeiro since 1947. However, the Shark Attack Data shows nine confirmed attacks in the state.
To solve this difference in the data, I consulted the Brazilian official statistics for the state of Rio de Janeiro. As a result, I found 9 (nine) entries for confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in the area, with 1 (one) fatal casualty.
About 56% of the attacks in the state of Rio de Janeiro happened in Copacabana Beach, which is expected as it’s one of the most visited destinations in Brazil. More people, the higher the chances of a rare attack through the years.
In Copacabana, there were five attacks in total, with the one (and only) fatal casualty by shark ever registered in Rio de Janeiro. The second city with the most episodes is Cabo Frio, with 11.2% (2 entries). The other cases happened in Búzios and Guanabara Bay. In the following table, you can check all the episodes.
| Date | Location | Activity | Incident Type | Fatal? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Feb 1947 | Copacabana Beach (Rio de Janeiro) | Bathing | Unprovoked | Fatal |
| 28 Mar 1980 | Copacabana Beach (Rio de Janeiro) | Swimming | Unprovoked | Non-fatal |
| 01 Feb 1981 | Cabo Frio (Rio de Janeiro) | Spearfishing | Unprovoked | Non-fatal |
| 01 Mar 1981 | Cabo Frio (Rio de Janeiro) | Diving | Unprovoked | Non-fatal |
| 20 Apr 1997 | Búzios (Rio de Janeiro) | Windsurfing | Unprovoked | Non-fatal |
| 07 Jun 1997 | Copacabana Beach (Rio de Janeiro) | Bathing | Unprovoked | Non-fatal |
| 06 Nov 1999 | Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro) | Spearfishing | Unprovoked | Non-fatal |
| 23 Apr 2003 | Copacabana Beach (Rio de Janeiro) | Swimming | Unprovoked | Non-fatal |
| 25 Apr 2003 | Copacabana Beach (Rio de Janeiro) | Swimming | Unprovoked | Non-fatal |
Related Questions
Are there shark attacks in Rio? Shark attacks are rare episodes in Rio de Janeiro. However, there have been nine confirmed attacks registered in the entire state of Rio de Janeiro, with one fatal casualty. The famous Copacabana Beach is the most common attack location, with five episodes since 1947.
Are there sharks in Rio Brazil? Sharks are very common in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There are 68 species of sharks in the entire state of Rio, including Bull Sharks, Tiger Sharks, and Great White Sharks. However, shark attacks are rare, with only 9 cases (1 fatal) registered since 1947.
Are there sharks at Copacabana Beach? Sharks are common at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. There are 68 species of sharks in the state of Rio, but shark attacks are rare. However, since 1947, there have been 9 episodes registered in the state, five of which happened in Copacabana Beach.
