The types of sharks you can find in UK waters - full list and how dangerous they are

Different types of sharks have been spotted in UK waters in the last month – but what species could we expect to see and how dangerous are they?

Recently, a woman was bitten by a blue shark on a snorkelling trip in Cornwall - 15 miles off the coast of Penzance. Close by, footage of a porbeagle shark swimming in unusual territory surfaced at Plymouth marina.

According to the SharksTrust, there are 21 species can be found at any time of the year gliding off the Devon coast. But what about the rest of the UK?

From the freaky Frilled Shark to the venomous Spurgod, here’s all the types of sharks you can find in the UK waters.

What are the most common sharks spotted in UK waters?

Spurdog

Most local sharks are fairly harmless but the Spurdog is one of the few venomous fish in the UK waters. The deep-sea creature’s venom can cause extreme discomfort and swelling.

Dogfish

The Dogfish shark is one of the more common finds in UK waters. The shark feists on prawns and can be found in the southern and western waters.

Basking Shark

The filter-feeding Basking Shark can grow up to a huge 12 metres - making it the second biggest shark in the world. The shark tends to appear seasonally, mainly between May-October.

Blue Shark 

Blue Sharks can travel up to 5,700 miles in a single trip so it is highly likely that you will see this seasonal shark migrating through British waters.

Shortfin Mako

The Shortfin Mako is the fastest shark known to man, it reaches up to 30mph and hunts prey such as Swordfish and Tuna.

Smooth Hammerhead

This is one of the largest species of Hammerhead sharks, reaching average lengths between 8 - 11.5 feet. While they prefer more tropical waters, the shark may occasionally appear in the UK, given that the sun’s shining.

Frilled Shark

This unique species has adapted to life in the abyss and can grow up to 6ft in length. Most common sightings of the Frilled Shark have come from the deepest of the British waters.

Porbeagle Shark

The Porbeagle Shark is a living relative of the Great White and is often mistaken for its ferocious family member.

Full list of sharks that swim in UK waters

• Porbeagle Shark
• Smallspotted Catsharks
• Nursehounds
• White Shark
• Portuguese Dogfish
• Black Dogfish
• Birdbeak Dogfish
• Rough Longnose Dogfish
• Sailfin Roughshark
• Angular Roughshark
• Longnose Velvet Dogfish
• Knifetooth Shark
• Kitefin Shark
• Gulper Shark
• Spurdog
• Leafscale Gulper Shark
• Basking sharks
• Blue Shark
• Shortfin Mako Shark
• Smooth Hammerhead
• Frilled Shark
• Thresher Shark
• Bigeye Thresher Shark
• Oceanic Whitetip Shark
• Common skate, blue skate
• White Ghost Catshark
• Mouse Catshark
• Bramble Shark
• Velvet Belly Lantern Shark
• Tope Shark
• Blackmouth Catshark, Blackmouth Dogfish
• Smalleye Catshark
• Iceland Shark
• Nurse Shark
• Sharpnose Sevengill Shark
• Bluntnose Sixgill Shark
• Starry smoothhound
• Small-spotted Catshark
• Greenland Shark
• Spiny Dogfish
• Angel Shark
• Smalltooth Sandtiger
• Tiger Shark
• Scalloped Hammerhead Shark