In Photos: Sharks

There are over 470 species of shark. See some of them up close in our photo gallery.

of 11

Whale Shark

The whale shark is the largest fish in the sea, reaching lengths of 12 metres and weighing up to 20 tonnes.
Leopard Shark

The leopard shark is a species of houndshark found mainly along the Pacific coast of North America. They are harmless to humans.
Hammerhead Shark

The hammerhead sharks are characterised by their distinctive shaped heads which they use as a weapon when hunting prey.
Nurse Shark

Nurse sharks are nocturnal, spending the day hidden in regular resting sites with a large group and then hunting alone at night.
Grey Reef Shark

Grey reef sharks are one of the most common reef sharks in the Indo-Pacific and are often found in shallow water near the edge of coral reefs.
Bull Shark

Bull sharks are often considered to be the most dangerous sharks in the world. They are agressive and will eat almost anything including dolphins, sea turtles and other sharks. They are unusual in their ability to survive in freshwater.
Shark Embryo

There are three types of shark birth. Oviparous sharks lay their eggs in the sea. In viviparous sharks, eggs hatch inside the female's body and are fed by a placental link. In ovoviviparous sharks, the most common, eggs also hatch inside the female's body, but there is no placenta to nourish them, so the pups eat any unfertilized eggs and each other meaning very few in each litter survive.
Lemon Sharks

Lemon sharks gain their name from the appearance of their skin. The light at certain depths of seawater gives them a yellow, pitted appearance which helps them blend in against sandy seafloors.
Great White Shark

The Great White shark can detect a single drop of blood from over a mile away and after eating a seal or a sea lion they can last a month or two without another big meal.
Black Tip Reef Shark

Blacktip reef sharks have distinctive black colouring on the tips of their fins and tail. They are not regarded as dangerous because of their small size, but have been known to bite peoples' feet and legs in shallow water.
Tiger Shark

Tiger sharks are named for the dark, vertical stripes found mainly on juveniles. They are second only to great whites for attacks on humans.