14 Incredible Sharks in Washington State Waters

Washington is the 18th-largest and northwesternmost state in the U.S. The western part of the state opens to the Pacific Ocean, a diverse area in terms of flora and fauna. But what about predators?

There are 500 different species of sharks roaming the planet’s oceans. Out of these, 30 species can be found in Washington State waters. The species present there are quite varied, especially in size.

This article will introduce you to some incredible sharks in Washington State waters. Usual caution is advised, as two shark attacks have been recorded in the area although both were non-fatal. 

Are There Any Sharks in Washington State?

According to the Shark Foundation, Washington State waters are home to 30 shark species. Most species do not represent a danger to humans and swimmers, although caution is advised when exploring the ocean. 

Sharks here are classified as primary predators, small, middle-class, gentle giants, and strangely shaped sharks. In the following lines, we introduce you to 14 sharks in Washington State waters!

1. Great White Shark

The great white shark is a species of mackerel shark. The species is one of the longest-living cartilaginous fishes, with a lifespan of over 70 years. It can be found in coastal surface waters worldwide.

A great white shark has an average swimming speed of 16 mph (25 kmh). As an apex predator, it has no natural predators. Only orcas are sometimes brave enough to hunt down great whites.

The great white shark is the only known surviving species of the Carcharodon genus. It is responsible for most human bite incidents amongst sharks worldwide.

2. Tiger Shark

The tiger shark is a requiem shark: migratory, live-bearing, and living in warm seas. It was named “tiger” due to the dark stripes found on its lower body resembling a tiger’s pattern. The pattern fades, however, as the shark matures.

Even though the tiger shark is another apex predator, killer whale groups are known to hunt this species from time to time.

The tiger shark has the most recorded fatal attacks on humans worldwide after the great white shark. Despite that, it is still a near-threatened species, mainly due to fishing and finning.

3. Salmon Shark

The salmon shark can be found predominantly in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean — right around Washington State. The species is known for its ability to regulate its body temperature. As a result, salmon sharks can live and thrive in cold waters. 

As the name implies, the species feeds mainly on salmon, herring, sablefish, and squid. 

Salmon sharks are not currently being fished commercially. In fact, it is known that fishers often discard them. In Miyagi, a city in Japan, however, salmon shark heart is considered a delicacy and is used to prepare sashimi.

4. Dusky Shark

The dusky shark is one of the largest members of the Carcharhinus genus. It has a varied diet, eating everything from sea turtles to sea stars, bony fish, rays, sharks, and even garbage. Dusky sharks are known for their slow-growing and maturing process. Such a shark reaches adulthood after 20 years!

One distinctive feature of dusky sharks is their short-rounded snout. The species is now considered endangered as commercial fisheries use it to make shark fin soup (a delicacy) and harvest it for skin, meat, and precious liver oil.

5. Spiny Dogfish

Also known as spurdog or mud shark, this is the best-known species of the dogfish family. Spiny dogfish sharks can be easily recognized by their two spines and the lack of an anal fin. An interesting fact is that specimens found in the northern part of the Pacific were reevaluated and now constitute a separate species — the Pacific spiny dogfish.

Even though small, spiny dogfish sharks can be incredible predators. This is because this species often hunt in packs. This aspect wouldn’t be an issue to other marine animals and people — if these packs didn’t consist of hundreds, even thousands of specimens.

6. Catshark

Catsharks are bottom dwellers; they reproduce by laying eggs. This must be mentioned as the species was previously named dogfish, but actual dogfish have live young offspring. The species is not harmful to humans, mainly because it dwells on the bottom of the ocean.

Various catshark species can be found on the bottom of Washington State waters. Divers might encounter them if they venture that deep. If they do, they might encounter the chain catshark, a species of this family that is biofluorescent.

7. Leopard Shark

The leopard shark is known for its black saddle-like pattern and large spots that can be seen on its back. They are the reason behind its common name. The species’ diet consists of shrimp, bony fish, clams, crabs, and fish eggs.

This shark poses no danger to humans. The only attack ever recorded on humans resulted in a nosebleed on the diver’s part. You might not get to interact with one, as leopard sharks flee quickly.

8. Sand Tiger Shark

The sand tiger shark lives on sandy shorelines, often in submerged reefs as deep as 627 feet (191 m). The species can be found worldwide in Japan, South Africa, Australia, and North and South America. It is not related to the tiger shark.

There are no confirmed human fatalities related to the sand tiger shark. This is because the species moves slowly and is known as relatively placid.

9. Blacktip Shark

The blacktip shark is known for its pointed snout, fusiform body, and long gill slits. The edges of its caudal, dorsal, pectoral, or pelvic fins can feature black tips, hence the name of the species.

Blacktip sharks are known for engaging in spinning leaps out of the water, used to hunt schools of small fish or to dislodge sharksuckers. These sharks are extremely fast; before jumping out of the water, they can move as fast as 21 feet per second (6.3 m/s).

10. Blue Shark

Also known as great blue sharks, the species lives in deep waters and prefers cooler waters. Even though the species can hunt larger prey, their diet consists mainly of squid and small fish.

They are known to migrate long distances. Specimens found in New England can also be found in South America. 

Blue sharks are known for their large litter. Females can give birth to as few as 25 or more than 100 pups.

11. Basking Shark

The basking shark is the second-largest living fish and shark worldwide (it stands behind the whale shark). Despite its size, the species is a filter feeder, meaning that it feeds on plankton by filtering water rather than hunting down large species of marine life.

It was named like this due to the fact that it feeds at the surface, seemingly basking in warm water. As a filter feeder, the basking shark doesn’t have much use for its teeth. Its mouth is equipped with several rows of teeth and one row can have up to 100 teeth. However, it is very small at 0.25 inches (0.6 cm) long.

12. Smooth Hammerhead Shark

The smooth hammerhead shark is the second-largest of the hammerhead species. It is called smooth because its head is flattened and extended into a hammer shape. The shark is known for forming schools that range up to thousands of specimens.

Its diet consists mainly of invertebrates and bony fishes. Larger specimens, however, often hunt rays and other sharks as well.

13. Thresher Shark

Thresher refers to species of mackerel sharks that are listed as vulnerable to extinction. All three extant species of thresher shark are known as sport fish and are commonly hunted for meat, skin, fins, and liver.

The name thresher is given by the species’ distinctive caudal fin that resembles a tail and can be as long as the thresher shark specimen.

14. Pacific Angel Shark

The Pacific angel shark has a flattened body and enlarged pelvic and pectoral fins. It is known as an ambush predator. Pacific angel sharks conceal on the seafloor, using sand and their natural camouflage, and wait for prey. This species can stay still for days, concealed in their ambush site. Its diet consists mainly of squid and bony fish.

Summary of 14 Incredible Sharks in Washington State Waters

Here’s a recap of 14 types of sharks found in the state of Washington that we took a close look at:

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Stefan Pircher/Shutterstock.com