Are there great white sharks in Portugal?

Yes, great white sharks have been recorded in Portuguese waters, but sightings are rare. These waters include the Azores, which belong to Portugal: in July 2024 a great white shark was filmed at Princess Alice Bank off Faial. This dive site lies far out in the Atlantic. A single sighting establishes neither a regularly present group of great whites nor frequent occurrence at mainland Portuguese beaches.

Carcharodon carcharias is a distinct shark species. A report of a large shark alone is therefore not enough to identify it as a great white. Assessments depend on verifiable footage or documented records.

Learn more about its biology and distribution in the species profile:

The Azores belong to Portugal and lie far out in the North Atlantic. The University of the Azores documents a historical catch near Ponta Garça on São Miguel on 10 February 1990. Its report shows that records of great whites around the islands predate the recent video.

An encounter at Princess Alice Bank off Faial was also filmed in July 2024. RTP Açores reported it on 24 July and described such observations in Azorean waters as rare.

A sighting off the Azores is a record from Portuguese waters. It is not, however, a record immediately off the Algarve, Lisbon or another mainland coast. Reports of great whites in Portugal should therefore always specify where the animal was found or observed.

The individual cases described here establish neither a regularly present group of great whites nor an increase in their frequency. They also provide no reliable probability of an encounter while swimming or diving.

Find information on other species in our overview of sharks in Portugal.

Our article on Princess Alice Bank explains the footage, its date and the location of the encounter, and includes the video.