The Mako Shark

Mako Sharks are the quickest species of sharks and have the ability to leap up to 20ft out of the water. They are incredibly aggressive looking and have conical snouts, long gill slits with short pectoral fins and crescent shaped tails fins. They have needle-like teeth which are clearly visible at all times have large black eyes. The Mako Shark has up to sixteen pups in a litter, each one being approximately 70cm in length and growing up to 13ft in length.

These sharks are potentially dangerous, especially to those free diving instead of shark cage diving. Mature sharks are incredibly fast and sharp when in the presence of food, however smaller sharks don’t usually pose too much of a threat to divers. Mako Sharks predominantly roam open waters and don’t come into contact with humans very often.

Mako Sharks have been known to swim in the same waters as the Blue Shark. Mako Sharks are dominant in these waters however, and have even been known to eat and kill the competitor species.

Where to see them

These sharks can be found in Simon’s Town in Cape Town, South Africa. Mako Sharks live in temperate to tropical waters all over the world. They have been found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and have been tracked down to 1450ft.

Diving Locations: Cape Town