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Photograph of the Galapagos Shark

Galapagos Shark

Carcharhinus galapagensis (Snodgrass & Heller, 1905)

Least Concern
© Sean Chinn
Maximum length
3 m

Meet the Galapagos Shark

The Galapagos Shark is a large species of requiem shark known for its robust build, dark grey coloration, and prominent dorsal fin.

What they eat
Crustaceans, molluscs, bottom fish

How big do they get?

Galapagos Shark · 3 m
Human diver · 1.8 m
The Galapagos Shark grows to around 3 m at most: the bars compare its maximum recorded length with a diver.

Where they live

Map of the known distribution of the Galapagos Shark
Known distribution

Distribution

Worldwide, patchy, mainly around warm-temperate to tropical oceanic islands.

Habitat

Coastal, pelagic, shallow inshore to far offshore.

In the wild

  • A diver photographing sharks in open water
    Recorded on a Shark Trust survey dive
  • An angel shark resting on the seabed
    Resting on a sandy seabed
  • A clownose ray swimming over the seabed
    Cruising close to the sea floor
  • A group of rays gliding through shallow water
    In the shallows at dusk
  • A Port Jackson shark on a reef
    Sheltering on the reef

Go deeper

Conservation status

Least Concern Global

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