Habitat
Cold and temperate Atlantic; reaches the western approaches to the Strait seasonally.
All species
Porbeagle Shark
Lamna nasus
Not aggressive
A stocky, warm-blooded mackerel shark that thrives in cooler Atlantic waters.
Maximum size
1.8–3.7 m
Aggressiveness
Not aggressive
Ecology
Endothermic — maintains body temperature above the surrounding water.
Feeding
Schooling pelagic fish (mackerel, herring) and cephalopods.
Behaviour
Active, fast swimmer; sometimes appears playful around boats.
Safety notes
Almost no recorded interactions with humans.
Conservation status
IUCN: Vulnerable.
Sources & Citations
Data compiled from peer-reviewed and authoritative open sources. Last reviewed 2026.
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Conservation status for each species.
- The Shark Trust — Species Database
Biology, ecology and identification.
- FishBase
Maximum sizes, distribution and life-history data.
- Florida Museum — International Shark Attack File
Documented species behaviour around humans.
- Nature Gibraltar / Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society
Local marine fauna records around the Strait.