The Shark Research Committee is documenting predation events by the white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, and shark/human interactions from the Pacific Coast of North America. These are ongoing research projects which began in 1960. If you, on a voluntary basis, would like to assist in one or more of these research projects we would appreciate hearing of your experience. The data collected from research volunteers will be catalogued with, and become part of, the existing project data base files. The research projects are: Unprovoked Shark Attacks, Shark Encounters, and White Shark Predation. Please select the appropriate category for the experience being reported. Volunteers providing data for these research projects will be acknowledged upon their publishing.  Many thanks for your participation.

Due to an ongoing problem with our hosting company, Gate.com, only the Unprovoked Shark Attack form is currently posting to our email server. Please use this form for all incident reports until further notice. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Unprovoked Shark Attack

     A shark aggressively pursues and/or strikes a human without provocation or offensive gestures on the part of the human. Any physical contact between a shark and a human, or a piece of equipment being used in an ocean activity by the human, constitutes an unprovoked shark attack. If an impending attack is only avoided by evasive maneuvering, this too shall be classified as an unprovoked shark attack. Physical injury to the victim is not necessarily the only criteria used in determining an unprovoked shark attack.

Shark Encounter

     A human is approached by a shark, which leisurely circles and/or slowly swims past the subject without any aggressive behavior being exhibited by the shark. There is never any physical contact between shark and subject in a Shark Encounter. They are non-violent. The shark's movements are usually described as "smooth and methodical". These types of encounters have been described by divers as "being checked-out by a shark".

White Shark Predation

     A natural feeding event consists of a white shark pursuing, capturing and/or consuming a known natural prey such as a fish or a seal or sea lion (pinniped). Along the Pacific Coast, carion feeding upon dead whales by white sharks is not infrequently observed and photographed. Either of these two examples is the type of predation data being sought for the white shark data predation files. Baiting or chumming a white shark to a specific location are not considered natural feeding events for this study.

     If you would like to voluntarily participate in the White Shark Predation or Shark/Human Interactions Research Projects please select the appropriate link above.  Upon submision of these forms the sender acknowledges that the contents shall become the property of Ralph S. Collier and the Shark Research Committe for their ongoing white shark and shark/human interactions research projects.  If you require any additional information please e-mail the Shark Research Committee at  sharkform.

Thank You

The material contained on this website is shared as a public service and to further the scientific goals of the Shark Research Committee.  All text and images on this website are the exclusive property of the Shark Research Committee.  Information on this website may be used for private study, but may not otherwise be published, duplicated, or modified in any way without the prior written permission of Ralph S. Collier.