7 Most Dangerous Beaches in the World, New Smyrna Beach is Dubbed the Shark Bite Capital of the World
- Like relaxing on the beach?
Did you know there are a number of beaches that are called the most dangerous in the world.
Just mention Gansbaai Beach in South Africa which offers a thrilling experience but has dangerous risks for wildlife.
Or New Smyrna Beach, Florida, which is known as the shark bite capital of the world.
Reporting from thetravel, here are the 7 most dangerous beaches in the world that you may have never heard of before.
1. Chowpatty Beach, Mumbai
Chowpatty Beach, one of the most dangerous places in the world. (© Vyacheslav Argenberg / //www.vascoplanet.com/, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Girgaon Chowpatty is a public beach that stretches along Marine Drive in the Girgaon area of Mumbai, west coast of India.
Chowpatty Beach is lined with food stalls and amusement rides and offers beautiful sunset views.
Unfortunately Chowpatty Beach is quite dangerous for visitors.
This is due to water and sand pollution, whether from plastic, food, and glass waste from local residents and tourists, oil sludge, or fecal coliform from swimmers and sewer pipes.
2. Hanakapi'ai Beach, Hawaii
Danger sign for Hawaii's Hanakapiai Beach, one of the most dangerous places in the world. (tom burke from Morgan Hill, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Located on Kauai's Napali Coast, Hanakapi'ai Beach is a beautiful public and secluded beach with stunning views of the Pacific.
Visitors will see signs warning them of “numerous cross currents as well as tidal waves,” according to the Hawaii Guide, not to mention slippery, wet boulders.
3. Gansbaai Beach, South Africa
Gansbaai, one of the most dangerous places in the world. (Joachim Huber, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Located two hours from vibrant and colorful Cape Town, the fishing town of Gansbaai is the only beach in the world where visitors can swim with Great White Sharks all year round through one certified eco tour operator.
Sightings of Bronze Whale Sharks and Seven Gill Cow Sharks are also frequently reported, making this area very dangerous for swimmers and surfers, as even baby sharks can come close to the shore.
4. New Smyrna Beach, Florida
New Smyrna Beach, one of the most dangerous places in the world. (Gamweb, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
New Smyrna Beach is the city in Volusia County, Florida, the US state with the most shark attacks in 2023, according to the University of Florida and the Florida Museum.
This beach may be very popular among surfing and fishing lovers, but it is these two categories of people who are most often bitten by sharks.
The area's reputation as a shark encounter has not diminished its appeal, as visitors continue to flock to its beaches to enjoy the thrill of surfing and fishing.
5. Cape Tribulation Beach, Australia
Cape Tribulation Beach, one of the most dangerous beaches in the world. (Paul Holloway from Birmingham, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Cape Tribulation Beach, located just outside the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia, is a short boat ride to the Great Barrier Reef.
This place mostly attracts swimmers, kayakers and photographers who want to capture the amazing views.
Unfortunately, the coast is also teeming with deadly box jellyfish, poisonous snakes, saltwater crocodiles and cassowaries, heavy flightless birds that are known to attack humans while searching for food.
6. Playa Zipolite, Mexico
Playa Zipolite, one of the most dangerous beaches in the world. (Instagram/@zipolite_oaxaca_mexico)
Located in San Pedro Pochutla, in the state of Oaxaca, Zipolite Beach is a popular surfing and dining center.
On the other hand, this beach is also labeled Dead Man's Beach because of its extreme currents and strong waves and currents, which injure or claim the lives of local residents and tourists.
Strong currents and tidal currents can easily pull swimmers out to sea, and drownings are common here, so it's important to be careful when entering the water.
Meanwhile, the waves are big and can be dangerous for surfers' bodies.
7. K'gari Island, Australia
Fraser Island, one of the most dangerous beaches in the world. (UrbanDruid, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Fraser Island, known as K'gari to Aboriginal people, and located in southeast Queensland, is renowned for its pristine lakes and beaches and dense rainforest, attracting 500,000 tourists per year.
It is certainly an unforgettable, beautiful and adventurous destination, but there are many dangers within it including deadly spiders and snakes, wild and unpredictable dingo dogs, jellyfish, sharks and ocean waves , not to mention the lack of lifeguards.
Since this is the case, it is worth noting that help is not always available.