Blue Shark

Background

Known for its striking blue colour, the Blue Shark is a long and slender species with long fins that make the animal appear larger than it actually is.

Habitat

A widely distributed shark species, the Blue Shark is present within most tropical and temperate oceans. This slender species of shark is rarely found close to shore, instead they spend the majority of their time more than ten miles away from it.

Diet

The primary diet of these sharks includes fish, squid, octopuses and cuttlefish as well as other small sharks.

Predators & Threats

Outise of British waters, Blue Sharks are known to be eaten by larger sharks, such as the Great White and Tiger Shark. Killer Whales are also known to feed on them. The largest threat however comes from the shark-fin trade, whilst not a concern within most Western European countries over 10 million Blue Sharks are killed around Asia and Africa every year.

Facts

• They can have 25 - 100 babies per breeding season.
• Like most pelagic sharks, the blue shark does not do well in captivity, with the average survival being less than 30 days.
• They are highly migratory, being known to travel 2,500 km across oceans.

Best Time to Look

Late June to Mid October