Requiem sharks

Blue shark

Prionace glauca

A long, slender open-ocean shark with striking blue coloration and exceptionally long pectoral fins.

Open oceanMigratoryCool water

View recent sightings

5 observationsin our coverage data · past 365 days

Typical sizeAbout 6–10 ft

MaximumAbout 12.5 ft

Family size comparisonAbout 12.5 ft maximum

Dad, Daughter, Son & Mom

Family of fourBlue shark · About 12.5 ft

Every figure uses the same scale. The shark image is shown at the species’ published maximum length; individual animals vary.

Habitat

Open ocean from the surface into deeper cool water; it occasionally approaches oceanic islands and narrow continental shelves.

Geographic range

Temperate and tropical oceans worldwide.

Depth

Surface to about 1,148 ft

Diet

Squid, schooling fish, and other open-ocean prey.

How to recognize it

Deep blue back, white underside, narrow body, long rounded snout, and very long pointed pectoral fins.

Reproduction

Live-bearing; females may produce large litters after internal fertilization.

Species facts

Did you know?

Blue sharks make long migrations across entire ocean basins.

Their blue color is most vivid immediately after they leave the water and fades quickly.

Awareness, not a live shark tracker.An observation is a report from a past time and place—not a prediction of where an animal is now. Species facts do not establish the size, age, behavior, or current location of the observed animal.