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Great White Shark
Photograph by David Doubilet
This close-up of a great white shark's mouth shows its rows of sharp teeth. When a shark loses a tooth, a replacement moves forward to replace it.
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Great White Shark
Photograph by Brian J. Skerry
Great whites are torpedo-shaped with powerful tails that can propel them through the water at up to 15 miles (24 kilometers) per hour.
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Hammerhead Shark
Photograph by Brian J. Skerry
Hammerheads are aggressive hunters, feeding on smaller fish, octopuses, squid, and crustaceans. They do not actively seek out human prey, but are very defensive and will attack when provoked.
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Galápagos Shark
Photograph by Wolcott Henry
Female Galápagos sharks are often seen with deep mating scars caused by males biting their gills, fins, and flanks in a dominance display.
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Basking Shark
Photograph by Nick Caloyianis
The mouthy basking shark is a filter-feeder. It is the second-largest shark, after the whale shark, reaching lengths up to 33 feet (10 meters).
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Nurse Shark
Photograph courtesy Dr. Mathew Gilligan/NOAA
Nurse sharks prefer to dwell near the sea floor in the warm, shallow waters of the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans.
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Sand Tiger Sharks
Photograph by David Doubilet
Despite their rows of ragged teeth and vicious appearance, sand tiger sharks are actually rather docile, usually attacking humans only in self-defense.
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Tiger Shark
Photograph by Bill Curtsinger
So called because of the tiger-like stripes on juveniles, the tiger shark is, like its terrestrial namesake, a voracious hunter.
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Whale Shark
Photograph by Brian J. Skerry
Gentle giants, whale sharks filter-feed, swimming with their wide mouths open, collecting plankton and small fish.
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Bull Shark
Photograph by Brian J. Skerry
Among the most likely sharks to attack humans, bull sharks favor shallow coastal waters—the same places humans prefer to swim.
Shark Features
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All About Sharks
Sharks have prowled Earth's seas, essentially unchanged, for 400 million years. Learn more about these vital predators with facts, photos, video, and more.
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"Flying" Shark Lands in Boat
South African marine researchers lured a half-ton great white shark closer than anticipated—straight out of the water and into their vessel.
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Nurse Shark
Explore the underwater world of this bottom-dwelling shark. Learn why humans have little to fear, and much to learn, from nurse sharks.
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Sand Tiger Shark
Find out why this shark is not nearly as fierce as its protruding teeth might suggest. See how surface air breathing sets them apart from their relatives.
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