Sharks in Puerto Rico

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Puerto Rico is home to about 40 species of sharks. This information is not surprising, considering the water surrounding the tropical paradise remains warm year-round, which is ideal for most shark species.

Sharks tend to hang out close to beaches with shallow water and reefs that have a decent supply of food. However, they do not feed on humans and tend to avoid us altogether most times.

List of the Different Types of Sharks in Puerto Rico

Species	Maximum Size	Aggressiveness
Antilles Catshark	1.1-1.5 feet	Not aggressive
Basking Shark	23-30 feet	Not aggressive
Bigeye Thresher Shark	11-16 feet	Not aggressive
Blacknose Shark	3-5 feet	Not aggressive
Blacktip Reef Shark	3-4 feet	Moderately aggressive (if provoked)
Blacktip Shark	5-8 feet	Moderately aggressive
Blue Shark	6-11 feet	Not aggressive
Bluntnose Sixgill Shark	15-20 feet	Moderately aggressive (rarely targets humans, reports of just one provoked attack)
Broadnose Sevengill Shark	3.5-7.5 feet	Not aggressive (unless caught)
Bull Shark	7-12 feet	Highly aggressive
Caribbean Lanternshark	1.6-1.7 feet	Not aggressive
Caribbean Reef Shark	8-9 feet	Not aggressive
Caribbean Sharpnose Shark	3-4 feet	Highly aggressive
Cookiecutter Shark	1.5-3.5 feet	Not aggressive
Cuban Dogfish	2.5-3.6 feet	Not aggressive
Dusky Shark	9 -12 feet	Not aggressive (until provoked)
Finetooth Shark	5-6 feet	Not aggressive
Galapagos Shark	9.8-12 ft	Highly aggressive
Great Hammerhead Shark	15-20 feet	Highly aggressive
Great White Shark	11-16 feet	Highly aggressive
Gulper Shark	2.5-3 feet	Not aggressive
Kitefin Shark	3-5 feet	Not aggressive
Lemon Shark	9-10 feet	Not aggressive
Megamouth Shark	13-18 feet	Not aggressive
Narrowfin Smoothhound	1.6-3.3 feet	Not aggressive
Nurse Shark	7-8 feet	Not aggressive
Oceanic Whitetip Shark	10-13 feet	Highly aggressive
Scalloped Hammerhead Shark	9-12 feet	Moderately aggressive
Shortfin Mako Shark	6.5-9.5 feet	Highly aggressive
Silky Shark	7-10 feet	Highly aggressive
Smalltail Shark	3.5-4.5 feet	Not aggressive
Smooth Dogfish	4-5 feet	Not aggressive (due to their blunt teeth)
Smooth Hammerhead Shark	8-12 feet	Not aggressive (but are potentially dangerous)
Spinner Shark	7 -8 feet	Not aggressive
Thresher Shark	10-18 feet	Not aggressive
Tiger Shark	10-14 feet	Highly aggressive
Whale Shark	18-32 feet	Not aggressive

FAQs

1. Have there been shark attacks in Puerto Rico?

Shark attacks in Puerto Rico are pretty rare. Most occur when the shark mistakes a human on a surfboard for a seal and bites them under this misconception. Other times, they are attracted by the fish captured by anglers and go into a frenzy. In 2021, two surfers were attacked by an unknown shark – possibly a species of hammerhead. This was the first such attack in a decade, the last in 2011. However, it is believed that the shark was aggressively pursuing a stingray and most likely had no intention of attacking the duo.

2. Are the sharks in Puerto Rico endangered or going extinct?

Several species of sharks are endangered or facing extinction due to loss of habitat and getting caught as bycatch.

3. Can you go swimming with sharks in Puerto Rico?

Yes, there are places like Cayo Lobito and Mona Island, where nurse sharks live, the coral reefs of Vieques home to tiger and Caribbean reef sharks, and the famous Black Wall dive, inhabited by several species of hammerhead.

4. Are there great white sharks in Puerto Rico?

Though increasingly rare, great white sharks can be seen in Puerto Rico.

IAN WARKENTIN

I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.

Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.