One of the most adorable sea creatures is the shark. We sail with them without even knowing how close they are. We love watching movies, hearing stories of survival and even becoming adventurers diving into shark infested areas to see one of them. In July, we even have a special Shark Week to watch sharks!
Sharks that come to mind are very different from some of their more ancient ancestors. Scientists estimate that there are over 500 shark species today.
But you might be wondering how long some sharks can live! Below you will find 10 of the oldest sharks of all time, with the oldest shark being over 500 years old!
10.) Leopard shark
The leopard shark has a lifespan of up to 30 years and can be recognized by its large dark spots on its back. These sharks do not migrate, but prefer to stay in one specific area. As a result, there are some genetic differences between groups living in different regions.
Leopard sharks are believed to be harmless as a species of shark. They are smaller and easier to catch for food and in captivity. You can see the leopard shark in the aquarium as it is a slow growing species.
The leopard shark matures at the age of ten and has a gestation period of 10–12 months. When they give birth, their litters can range from 4 to 33 puppies, each 8-9 inches long. They prefer the flooded areas of the Pacific Ocean between Oregon and the Gulf of California. During the summer months, they are plentiful along the coast, most of them are pregnant female sharks.
It is known that the leopard shark is not fatal to humans. Most “attacks” are simply bumping as they float past people floating in the ocean. People eat more leopard sharks than leopard sharks attack humans. However, the leopard shark has high levels of mercury in its flesh, so regular consumption of this shark is not recommended.
9.) Hammerhead Shark
The hammerhead shark is the shark that we see today, the fossil remains of which date back to the Cretaceous period. Part of their evolution was that the shark grew to a smaller size, which provided more energy for reproduction rather than size. The name Hammerhead refers to the flat T-shaped head of this species. This shape gives the shark the ability to make tight turns and learn more about the environment.
The average lifespan of this shark is 25-30 years, but some individuals live up to 44 years! There are nine different types of hammerheads; winged shark, scalloped hat head, white hammerhead, shovel head, large hammerhead, bonnet small hammerhead, and smooth hammerhead. Interestingly, hammerhead sharks swim in packs during the daytime, but at sunset they separate to hunt alone.
8.) Sand Tiger Shark
In 2008, a sand tiger shark died at the New York Aquarium on Coney Island. A sand tiger shark named Bertha was at least 43 years old, making it one of the oldest known captive sharks in the world. It is likely that sand tiger sharks in the wild can surpass this age at 50 years or more.
Sand tiger sharks are unique among sharks as they can swim motionless and ambush their prey. This species lives in water on all continents except Antarctica, and is especially common in shipwrecks off the coast of the Carolina.
7.) Twilight shark
The twilight shark, with a lifespan of 35-50 years, is one of the most vulnerable shark species in the world. The long life span, combined with the increased rate of reproduction, means that this species is prone to depletion. Fishing for dark sharks is prohibited, but they are still caught by accident in fishing tackle. In Asia, fins are used for shark fin soup, making dark sharks a popular species.
The twilight shark does not attack humans, but it is considered dangerous due to its large size and desire to swim close to the shore. Females stay close to home to give birth, which happens every three years. The Dark Shark has a gestational period of 22 months and does not reach sexual maturity until they are 20 years old. Twilight shark droppings are six to twelve, and they will stay on the shore until they get bigger. They can be eaten by larger sharks, but are usually feared when they reach adulthood.
6.) Shark school
The school shark, which lives more than 55 years on average, is also called the top, snapper and dandy. During migration, these sharks travel long distances; some tagged sharks have been sighted more than a thousand miles from their first sighting.
School sharks are vulnerable, heavily exploited and hunted extensively. Meat, fins and liver are eaten all over the world. The liver contains a lot of vitamin A, and the fins are dried and sold in Asian markets.
The shark school prefers cold continental seas with a temperate climate. They are migrating and those tagged have moved from the United Kingdom to Iceland. They feed in open water and at the naval base. In Australia’s fisheries management system, where the schooling shark population is at risk, there are restrictions on the use of gillnets and longlines to protect the species.
5.) White shark
A medium-sized shark species, porbig lives from 30 to 65 years. This is a recognizable species of mackerel shark. These sharks are known to be some of the oldest sharks in the world. They are said to be playful and pull tight when fishermen catch them on the line. Commercial fishermen see these sharks as a nuisance when they steal fish from them, but recreational fishermen love to be chased. They are called porbigl because of the combination of porpoise and beagle.
The porbigle shark has great endurance, swimming long distances for seasonal migrations, feeding and breeding. They also need to have a higher body temperature than the surrounding water, which explains their activity level. This shark will grow to 4.9-6.6 feet in length and has no natural predators.
4.) Great white shark
The life expectancy of the great white shark cannot be compared with the Greenland shark. However, it does live for an impressive 70 years or more. Like many other sharks, the age of the great white shark is measured by features such as opaque and translucent deposits on the shark’s vertebrae and stripes that form on the shark’s skin depending on the shark’s growth rate, like tree rings on a tree. This is not entirely reliable, since the growth rate of sharks slows down with age.
It was once thought that the lifespan of large whites was much shorter. Scientists have found that it takes longer for snow-white animals to mature. This makes this shark species vulnerable as it is the target of fishermen as the great white shark takes longer to breed.
Great white sharks grow throughout their lives, which means that the largest white sharks found often reach the age of 50 and older. The largest recorded white white bird, nicknamed Deep Blue, is believed to be 21 feet long and weigh 5,000 pounds! Deep Blue is estimated to be 50 and older.
3.) Spiny dog shark
Spurdog, mud shark, or spicy blend are other names for spiny sea fish. A well-known species of the canine shark family, this small, slow-growing shark lives from 25 to 100 years. The gestation period is 18-24 months, the longest known gestation period for animals worldwide. This is another vulnerable shark species due to its late maturation and longer reproductive period.
This shark is called a marine fish because of its herd-like behavior. They will chase smaller fish and keep them in groups. Schools of sea sharks gather in the hundreds, swimming in close groups throughout the day. During the winter months they will feed less, swimming 2,900 feet below the surface, but in the spring they will return to the surface and into warmer waters for their summer feeding.
2) whale shark
The whale shark is the largest existing fish species in the world, which is 70-100+ years old on average. While they share some characteristics common to whales, they belong to the shark family.
These sharks, which appeared 60 million years ago, do not pose a threat to humans and are not afraid of them. They feed almost exclusively on plankton. Humans are so comfortable with these docile giants that they are known to swim with whale sharks in the wild.
Whale sharks travel considerable distances in search of food and reproductive habits. They prefer tropical oceans to colder waters. These sharks are believed to grow up to 20m (over 60ft) and can be distinguished by the white patches that cover their body. The whale shark loves to feed on the surface, but dives to a depth of 1000 meters.
1.) The oldest shark in the world: the Greenland shark!
The oldest shark in the world – by a wide margin – is the Greenland shark. Its lifespan is at least 250 years, but scientists estimate that this shark can live for over 500 years! This shark does not have the typical markers that scientists use to estimate age. Instead, they found white in the shark’s eyes. Protein is formed before the shark is born and does not degrade as it grows. Scientists have performed a carbon analysis of the protein, which gives an accurate estimate of age.
We also know that these sharks grow at a rate of less than 1 cm per year, although their length has been measured up to 6 meters. Using this method, we can estimate the age from the shark’s length. Using any estimate, at the shortest end of the lifespan estimate, the Greenland shark is the longest-living vertebrate.
Slow metabolism, slow growth, slow aging, sluggish movement and the ability to withstand the cold temperatures of deep ocean waters help this shark live a long life. The sexual maturity of this shark is about 100 years. Because the lifespan is so long, removing even one adult shark negatively affects the Greenland shark population.