Blue Shark
Prionace glauca
The second most commonly sighted shark species on our whale watches is the Blue shark. Blue sharks are beautiful animals that frequent cooler waters than most other shark species. They have slender bodies that are silvery-white on the underside, sky blue over most of the back, and a deep indigo blue on the very top of their back and on their dorsal fin. They also have very long pectoral fins that, along with the bluish coloration and slender body shape, make this species pretty easy to identify at sea. Blue sharks can reach lengths of up to 12 feet and can weigh up to 400 pounds (although lengths of 6-9 feet and 120 pounds are more common).
Quick Facts & Stats
Slender, deep-blue body
Long pectoral fins
Highly migratory species
Feeds on squid
Like the Basking sharks, females are larger and heavier than the males. The Blue shark is a member of a group of sharks known as the “requiem sharks” and, as that name implies, they are voracious predators. They feed on a wide variety of fish and squid species as well as lobsters, crabs, even shrimp. They catch their prey by using their fast speed and sharp teeth to cut swiftly through schools of fish and then they circle back to pick up the dead, dying, or wounded fish. Blue sharks will also attack seabirds sitting on the ocean surface, and will sometimes scavenge for food as well (we have seen them tearing chunks of flesh from the floating carcasses of dead whales).
