Discover the Top 5 Sharks with the Strongest Bites

Sharks are often misunderstood because some species occasionally attack humans. However, getting struck by lightning is more likely to kill you than a shark attack in the United States. Sharks are one of the oldest animals alive on earth today. Their skeletons are made of cartilage, and they have low reproductive rates. While they may be old, their speed, strength, aggression, and razor-sharp teeth make them deadly. A shark attack can be provoked or unprovoked, but regardless of the cause, they sometimes end in tragedy. Here are the top 5 sharks with the strongest bites and everything you need to know about these powerful predators.

5. Tiger Shark

Tiger sharks have a bite force of 325 pounds per square inch (psi), making them one of the shark species with the strongest bite. These terrifying sharks grow to 18 feet long and weigh up to 2000 pounds. Tiger sharks are the second-largest predatory shark and the fourth-largest shark in the world. The only predatory shark larger than them is the Great White.

These sharks are notorious for their aggression and eating anything that crosses their paths. While their usual diet consists of seabirds, stingrays, smaller sharks, different invertebrates and fishes, and sea turtles, these sharks have also been known to eat trash, like plastic, metal, wood, and fishing gear. Tiger sharks are opportunistic hunters, but they specialize in specific, highly available prey in some areas. For example, tiger sharks in Hawaii are notorious for regularly attacking and eating Hawaiian monk seals and green turtles near their nesting beaches. In fact, many scientists have observed seals and turtles with missing flippers bitten off by a tiger shark.

These sharks are listed as “near threatened” on ICUN’s redlist, as many are targeted or victims of bycatch. Unfortunately, their reputation for attacking humans’ has put a huge target on their backs, and in some places, population control efforts are put into place. A practice that is not approved by marine biologists and researchers.

4. Great Hammerhead

The Great Hammerhead has a bite force of 539 psi, making it one of the top 5 sharks with the strongest bite. These sharks reach an average length of 13 feet and weigh around 500 pounds. However, the biggest Great Hammerhead on record measured 20 feet long, and the heaviest specimen weighed 991 pounds. It is easy to distinguish the Great Hammerhead from other hammerhead species because of their size and their almost straight hammer-shaped head with a significant indentation in the middle.

These sharks are apex predators and occur in oceans around the world. However, they prefer warm coastal waters, at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit or more. These massive sharks are mostly solitary and migrate long distances, over 756 miles at a time. Furthermore, Great Hammerheads grow faster than other hammerhead species. As a result, they reach sexual maturity earlier, between 5 and 9 years old.

These hammerhead sharks have long, razor-sharp serrated teeth, which they use for catching and eating their prey. Additionally, their hammer-shaped heads detect their smaller marine animals as their flat they have electrical receptors that sense prey, including those hiding in the sand. Great Hammerheads mainly feed on marine animals like, cephalopods, stingrays, other sharks, and crustaceans. These sharks are vulnerable to overfishing. Sadly, they are caught intentionally as they are commercially targeted for their valuable fins in bottom trawl, longline, hook-and-line, and gillnet fisheries.

3. Bull Shark

Bull sharks are among the top 5 sharks with the strongest bites because they have a bite force of 1300 psi. These sharks live in coastal seas but also have the ability to move in freshwaters, especially large coastal lakes and rivers. As a result, bull sharks stand more of a chance of running into people and, therefore, are responsible for more human fatalities than any other shark species. But, still, these events are rare. Usually, when bull sharks bite a person, they quickly realize it’s not their usual prey and let go. However, just one bite from these powerful sharks can prove fatal.

These sharks can grow to 11 feet long and weigh almost 700 pounds. So, it is the largest species of the requiem shark. Bull sharks are extremely aggressive and eat a variety of food. Their diet consists of seabirds, small sharks, bony fishes, some mammals, and sea turtles. Adult bull sharks do not have any predators. However, they only reach maturity between 15 to 20 years, so before then, they are fair game to other sharks and whales, like orcas.

2. Shortfin Mako

Shortfin makos have a bite force of 3000 psi, making them the shark with the second-strongest bite. They are large sharks that live in open oceans and grow to 12 feet long, weighing around 1200 pounds. Shortfin makos are the fastest shark, traveling 45 miles per hour. Furthermore, they are notorious for their astonishing leaping abilities, often seen jumping out to the water at extreme heights while chasing prey.

These sharks are highly migratory, with some individuals migrating long distances each year. Shortin makos have specialized blood vessel structures, which allows them to maintain their body temperature higher than the water. As a result, they have a major advantage when hunting in cold water and move quicker and more stealthily.

Shortfin makos have a wide variety in their diets. However, they mainly eat squids, bony fishes, other sharks, sea turtles, and small marine mammals. While these sharks are among the few that attack people, attacks are rare and accidental. Their range is large, but they mainly inhabit places with warm water. Shortfin makos occur throughout the tropical and temperate latitudes of all oceans. These sharks are highly sought-after because of their fins and meat.

Anglers using longlines to target yellowfish tuna and swordfish often catch shortfin makos. And they try to sell the corpse for medical purposes. Unfortunately, these practices are causing the population of these sharks to drop.

Great White Shark

Great white sharks have the strongest bite force of 4000 psi. They are named after their white underbellies and are the most popular shark species on the planet, thanks to the movie Jaws. These sharks are massive, with an estimated length of 20 feet and weighing over 4000 pounds when fully grown. Great whites are easily distinguishable by their torpedo-shaped bodies and crescent-shaped caudal fin.

Great whites are highly migratory. They often travel between Australia and South Africa but go as far as California and the Hawaiian Islands. While most fishes are cold-blooded, some sharks regulate their body temperature. This helps them to remain active in cold weather, and since they have the advantage of this feature, they can remain active in cold water, which will come in handy when hunting for seal lions, dolphins, or other types of sharks. These sharks are one of the few species to attack humans, but still, these encounters are very rare.

Summary of the Top 5 Sharks With the Strongest Bites

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Sergey Uryadnikov/Shutterstock.com