Just how fast are sharks? Sharks make it notoriously hard to track their speed, because they rarely swim in a straight line or follow one direct course. Most sharks are cool, quiet swimmers averaging 1.5 miles per hour. But predator sharks can really turn on the heat when they want to eat!
Infographic courtesy of Zoology Degree Online.
It may surprise you just how heavy some sharks are. The largest shark, the whale shark, is two feet longer than a typical school bus and weighs more than twice as much! Luckily for us and most of the sea creatures out there, the two largest sharks alive today feed mostly on plankton. That makes the Great White the largest predatory shark. On the other end of the scale the Dwarf Lanternshark is currently the smallest known shark, reaching only 8.3 inches (21.2cm) in length.
Infographic courtesy of Zoology Degree Online.
Most sharks cannot accelerate quickly because of the shape of their tails, which are meant to push them toward the ocean floor as they scavenge, but a few sharks have enough power and speed to launch themselves out of the water. Check out these high jumpers in this cool infographic.
Infographic courtesy of Zoology Degree Online.