Are there sharks in Portugal?

Yes, there are sharks in Portugal. They live off the mainland’s Atlantic coast and around the Azores and Madeira. The best-known species include blue sharks, makos, catsharks, hammerheads and various deep-water sharks. Basking sharks, whale sharks and great white sharks have also been recorded in Portuguese waters, but are much rarer there.

Both coastal bottom-dwelling sharks and large oceanic sharks live off Portugal’s west coast and the Algarve. Many species inhabit the continental shelf, the seabed or waters far offshore. More than 40 shark species have been recorded near mainland Portugal.

The main shark species off mainland Portugal include:

The Azores lie far out in the North Atlantic. Around these volcanic islands, deep water begins close to shore. This means that both oceanic and deep-water sharks can occur relatively close to the islands.

Some of the best-known of the Azores’ 45 shark species include:

Madeira lies south of mainland Portugal and is more strongly influenced by warm, subtropical waters. Its coastline drops steeply into deep water. The waters around Madeira therefore support oceanic sharks, coastal species and numerous deep-water sharks.

The main species among the approximately 52 sharks recorded around Madeira include:

• Blue shark: Blue sharks live in the open sea around Madeira. They are occasionally seen on boat trips, while offshore fishing or by divers.
• Shortfin mako: This shark also occurs in deeper waters around the archipelago. Encounters close to shore are rare.
• Smooth hammerhead: Smooth hammerheads have been recorded around Madeira. Younger animals in particular may spend time closer to shore.
• Tope: This slender shark inhabits both coastal areas and deeper seabeds.
• Smoothhound: Smoothhounds tend to stay near the seabed. They feed mainly on crustaceans, small fish and other bottom-dwelling animals.
• Dusky shark: The large dusky shark also occurs in the waters around Madeira. Sightings are relatively rare.
• Deep-water sharks: The great depths around Madeira provide habitat for various dogfish, lanternsharks and other deep-water species. Divers and swimmers rarely see most of these sharks.
• Whale shark: Whale sharks occasionally appear around Madeira. Such encounters are rare and cannot be predicted reliably.
• Basking shark: Basking sharks have also been recorded in the archipelago’s waters, but are not regularly observed.
• Great white shark: The great white is part of Madeira’s documented shark fauna. It is, however, an exceptionally rare visitor.

Our latest articles in the shark sightings category covering Portugal, the Azores and Madeira.