We’ve all heard about unlikely animal kingdom matchups that could actually happen, like when orcas prey on moose. Yet, stranger things could happen in the world today. For example, sharks encounter creatures in the ocean depths as well as those that live near the shoreline. Bears are among those animals that live near the water, and they are known for swimming to travel as well as to hunt their prey. What would happen if a shark met a bear in the water and had a bone to pick? Take a look and see what happens in a bear vs shark battle.
We’ll break down the most important factors that will tell us which creature walks or swims away alive!
Comparing a Bear and a Shark
| Bear | Shark | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Weight: 60lbs – 990lbs Height: 2ft – 5ft at shoulder, up to 9 ft standing. Length: 4.5ft – 9.5 ft | Weight: 200lbs – 2,400lbs Length: 11ft – 21ft |
| Speed and Movement Type | 25-35 mph | – 20mph – 35mph – Uses an undulating, side-to-side motion from the tail and body. |
| Senses | – Some bears can smell from several miles away – Hearing twice as well as humans – Good vision and some bears can see better at dusk. | – Good vision with sharp focus and night vision. – Great whites hear low frequencies, but it’s not their best sense – Incredible smell for substances at 1 part per 10 billion parts of water – Possess ampullae of Lorenzini to detect electrical fields |
| Defenses | – Large size – Speed to run away – Fierce threat displays – Ability to traverse land and water – Climbing ability | – Large size – Bursts of speed |
| Offensive Capabilities | – Powerful, bone-breaking bites – Sharp claws that can tear open prey – Uses weight to pin down enemies | – Massive biting power at 4,000 PSI – About 50 teeth are available to bite in the first row, but 300 teeth overall – Teeth 4-6 inches long – Long, triangular teeth – Fast swim speed |
| Predatory Behavior | – Ambush predator in some cases, waiting for prey to get close before striking – Opportunistic predator that pursues and kills prey in other cases – Typically secures a kill with a single, powerful bite to the throat. | – Relies on stealth and ambush to attack – Opportunistic predators |
What Are the Key Differences Between a Bear and a Shark?
Sharks are gigantic fish
that have an amazing hunting ability
©Richard Whitcombe/Shutterstock.com
The biggest differences between a bear and a shark are their morphology and habitat. Bears are terrestrial caniform mammals that possess fur and can weigh up to 990 lbs, but sharks are aquatic cartilaginous fish that spend all their time in water and may grow to weigh 2,400 lbs.
Sharks are found in every ocean in the world, while bears are found everywhere except in Africa and Australia, including the Arctic Circle.
Knowing these unique qualities, we can start to look closer at other impactful elements of a fight between these two animals.
What Are the Key Factors in a Fight Between a Bear and a Shark?
Polar bears are highly aggressive and they can swim for long distances for many hours to get from one piece of ice to another.
©Vladimir Gjorgiev/Shutterstock.com
The most important factors in a battle between a bear and a shark will be their bodies, how they fight and looking at how they fare in the water where the fight will take place. Some people might believe that bears can’t do well in water, and that’s the case for most of them. However, the polar bear is an accomplished aquatic hunter and swimmer.
Bear vs Shark: Size
The largest sharks are bigger than bears. A shark can weigh up to 2,400 lbs and measure 21ft long, but a bear can grow to be about 900 lbs, stand 5ft tall at the shoulder, and grow 9.5ft long. Even if you’re looking at the truly extreme ends, the largest great white shark ever recorded weighed 5,000 pounds while the largest polar bear on record weighed 2,209 pounds. The key idea here, the biggest sharks are larger!
Sharks have a size advantage against the bears.
Bear vs Shark: Speed and Movement
Sharks are faster than bears in the water. On land, bears can reach speeds of 35 mph, but even the fastest swimmers can only reach about 6 mph in the water. Meanwhile, sharks can cruise at 10 mph with ease and reach 35 mph when they are closing in on their prey to kill it.
Sharks have a speed advantage against bears in the water.
Bear vs Shark: Senses
A bear’s senses are good for hunting. They can smell food and prey from miles away, hear about twice as well as humans, and have good vision during the day and night.
However, sharks are perfect hunting specimens. Their sense of sight is very good, and their hearing is limited to low frequencies. Yet, they can smell or taste 1 part per 10 billion parts of chemicals in the water and may also sense animals according to their electrical fields.
Sharks have a sensory advantage against bears.
Bear vs Shark: Physical Defenses
The main defense of a bear is its large size.
©Falade Adewale/Shutterstock.com
Sharks have large bodies, tough skin, the speed to leave their enemies behind them, and the knowledge that they are the deadliest thing in the water to keep them safe.
Bears have their large size and speed to keep them safe on land along with the ability to climb trees to get out of trouble. Their threat display is also quite effective in getting other animals, including humans, to leave them alone. Unfortunately, only their size protects them underwater.
Sharks have better defenses than bears.
Bear vs Shark: Combat Skills
Sharks use their senses to locate prey and then ambush them. When they do this, they’ll run into them, land a bite, and then tear away a large chunk of flesh. After a few bites, their prey is helpless and becomes dinner.
Bears will usually maul their prey by charging them down, clawing, and biting them around the neck. Either strangulation or exsanguination spells the end of the bears’ victims, and then they start the feast.
Both animals are incredibly good at what they do, capable of taking down all sorts of large prey.
Who Would Win in a Fight Between a Bear and a Shark?
Greenland sharks have been found with polar bear remains inside of them
©Dotted Yeti/Shutterstock.com
A shark would win a fight against a bear. Although a polar bear might be the best match out of any bear for a shark, it would still lose. It doesn’t have the toolkit needed to slay a creature so much larger, faster, and deadlier than it.
The shark would probably attack from behind or beneath the polar bear, tearing open the bear’s blubbery middle. A few bites are all it takes for the panic to set in, and the polar bear would begin clawing and slashing at the shark. These attacks don’t help, though. The shark will bite over and over again, eventually tearing away so much flesh that the bear is unable to fight back or simply dies.
Very few animals exist that can kill a large shark, and a bear is certainly not one of them. These furry animals cannot inflict a fatal wound on a shark faster than a shark can do the same. Â
Could Another Animal Take Down a Shark?
Most land animals would be no match for a shark – even a big brute killer like a polar bear. Great white sharks are the most vicious fish in the sea – but are they the absolute deadliest? Is there a sea creature big enough and fierce enough to take down an animal whose very name conjures fear in every human alive? Could a great white shark defeat the largest-toothed predator in the sea – the mighty sperm whale?
Great white sharks are among the deadliest creatures in the ocean and are the largest predatory shark. On average, a female can measure between 15 – 21 feet and a male 11 – 23 feet. They can weigh up to 5,000 pounds – a huge amount if their opponent wasn’t a whale. Sperm whales are one of the largest creatures in the ocean and are the largest toothed predator alive. They can grow up to 68 feet long and can weigh up to 45 tons. Will their superior size be the determining factor?
Although not known for sure, scientists believe that a great white shark has a bite force of 4,000 PSI, combined with rows of sharp teeth measuring three inches long. This would be the animal’s main defense and advantage against the giant sperm whale, but could it bring victory to the shark?
Sperm whales have an unusual tool in their predatory arsenal – they are able to produce “clicks” that can ward off any predators that can’t handle 200 plus dB of painful echolocation. Unlike the shark, they employ the use of their powerful tales to knock their enemies off course so they can come in for the kill.
Sperm whales take down giant squid and megamouth sharks on a daily basis – so it stands to reason that a great white would be no match for the largest-toothed predator in the world. The great white would no doubt put up a ferocious fight – but the sperm whale’s arsenal of mind-numbing clicks, powerful tail swipes, and crushing bites combined with overwhelming size would turn the great white into a great snack for the mighty sperm whale.
The photo featured at the top of this post is © Falade Adewale/Shutterstock.com
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