Blue Shark– Prionace glauca

Where to See Them

Alternative Names

Blue Whaler, Great Blue Shark

Diet

A Blue Shark’s diet consists of mainly Squid and Pelagic fish. They are also known to feed on Whale Carcasses hence the alternative name ‘Blue Whaler’.

Maximum Size

They can grow up to 3.8m / 12 ½ ft

Danger to Humans

High risk

Most likely victims are from ship wrecks. The sharks have been known to go into a feeding frenzy on victims of ship wrecks in the past. Many people dive with the sharks without incident and the operators we work with have not had an incident with a diver / Shark. Blue Sharks are known to circle divers and are very curious. Caution is always necessary as they have been known to nip or take a test-bite when excited.

Where they roam

Blue Sharks roam Temperate to Tropical waters worldwide. The Blue shark stays mainly in the open ocean but is known to occasionally cruise into coastal areas. The Blue Shark is present in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and they have been tracked down to depths of 220m / 720ft.

The Blue shark is stunning, sleek and one of the most beautiful sharks in the ocean. You can identify the Blue Shark by its long slender body with its topside is an Indigo-Blue colour with the sides being bright blue and with a white underside. This beautiful shark has a long conical snout and two dorsal fins with the second dorsal fin approximately ½ the size of the first and very long Pectoral fins. The Blue shark is an excellent scavenger and is often found at the scene of a dead Whale carcass hence it is alternatively known as the ‘Blue Whaler’ by some. They feed on pelagic fish but their main diet consists of Squid but they will eat nearly anything as they are known scavengers. Blue sharks have a very good reproduction rate and females sometimes litter over 100 pups which are born at an approximate length of 40cm and grow up to 3.8m / 12 ½ ft when fully grown. These beautiful sharks can travel vast distances and one shark which was tagged was traced several thousand kilometers away in a matter of weeks.

Stricken by fear?

The Blue Shark is considered to be high risk to humans but this is only in extreme circumstances for example victims of ship wrecks. In South Africa the operators Apex Expeditions and African Shark Eco-Charters run trips 20 miles out from Cape Point and offer free-diving with the Blue Sharks and Mako Sharks. This activity is not in a cage and offers divers a very unique experience up close and personal with these beautiful sharks.