Galapagos shark
Carcharhinus galapagensis
Size, compared with you
You: 1.7 m. Galapagos shark: 3.3 m.
Bigger than a car. Grows up to about 3.3 m.
The Galapagos shark is a large grey shark that lives around islands in warm seas. Young ones stay in shallow, safe water, and the bigger ones go deeper and eat a wider range of food.
The weird bit
Big Galapagos sharks eat a very mixed menu, including other sharks, marine iguanas and sea lions. Some have even been found with leaves, coral, rocks and rubbish in their stomachs.
Quick facts
- Where it lives
- Coral reef, Coast and shallows1 to 180 m down
- What it eats
- Bottom fish and squid, plus rays, small sharks and crustaceans
- How worried are we?
- Doing okay (Least Concern)Assessed in 2018 by the IUCN Red List.