Few Oregonians like to imagine an encounter with a shark. Haunted by “Jaws” and news reports of injured surfers, a vertical dorsal fin is enough to scare most people out of the ocean.
But while some sharks do sometimes pose a threat to people, the vast majority of Oregon’s sharks are harmless. Some are so small you might never notice them pass by.
Worldwide, there are more than 400 species of sharks, with 15 species off the coast of Oregon, according to Oregon Sea Grant. That includes eight bigger animals like the massive basking shark, the common blue shark and the infamous great white shark. The remaining seven are Oregon’s little sharks, ranging from the two-foot brown catshark to the 10-foot sevengill shark.
None of these sharks poses a threat to humans if unprovoked. Most are content to hunt their prey in peace, occasionally coming into contact with divers or fishing operations.
Shark attacks in Oregon are relatively rare, almost never fatal, and usually involve surfers, according to data compiled by The Oregonian/OregonLive. The most recent attack was in 2020 south of Seaside, when a great white bit a surfer’s leg.
If the thought of sharks makes your blood run cold, just remember that these nice, little creatures are out there too.
— Jamie Hale, The Oregonian/OregonLive
MORE:
- Sharks of Oregon: The 8 largest sharks found off Oregon’s coast
- Get to know 10 of Oregon’s most famous gray whales
- Oregon wolves: 9 graphics that explore where they roam, live and die
- Owls of Oregon: Get to know the 14 species found here, from pygmy to great horned owls
- Bats of Oregon: Get to know all 15 of Oregon’s weird and wild, big- and little-eared species
--Mark Graves
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