Swim with humpback whales in Moʻorea, September 2027 · from CHF 4,500See the trip →
Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Animals

Sharks

Silky shark

Carcharhinus falciformis

Silky sharks live where tuna and open ocean meet. They are sleek predators that stay mostly near the surface and can travel thousands of kilometres across international waters.

VulnerableIn 48 Atlas countries

Vulnerable (IUCN, 2017) means it is at high risk of extinction in the wild.

Silky shark swimming near the surface in blue water
Photo: Rui Ribeiro, iNaturalist, CC BY
Silky shark cruising below the surface
Photo: Rui Ribeiro, iNaturalist, CC BY
Silky shark swimming in clear blue water
Photo: Rui Ribeiro, iNaturalist, CC BY

Photos show the species, not always the places on this page.

Length

Commonly about 2.5 m (8.2 ft); largest about 3.3 to 3.5 m (10.8 to 11.5 ft)

Weight

Typical adult weight not reliably measured; heaviest published about 346 kg (763 lb)

Next to a person

About one-and-a-half times as long as a person

What it eats

Mainly bony fish such as tuna and mackerel, plus squid and some crabs.

Around people

Defensive if pressured

How it lives

The silky shark lives in the open ocean, often near the edges of continental and island shelves, and is frequently found with schools of tuna. It is very sensitive to sound, possibly to find other animals feeding. Females give birth to live pups, commonly 2 to 14, after about 11 to 12 months, usually every other year.

Where it goes

Silky sharks are strong travellers. Young sharks can stay near floating objects for a while, but they also spread across whole ocean basins. Tagged sharks spent most of their time near the surface, with some deep dives. One shark tagged in the Galápagos travelled more than 27,000 km in 546 days, a record, not a normal route.

We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.

Populations

Silky sharks of the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific are genetically quite separate, with finer differences within each ocean, such as several stocks in the eastern Pacific. How they use tuna schools and seamounts differs by region. There are no subspecies.

Meet it respectfully

Silky sharks are fast and curious. Stay calm and in a group, keep the shark in view and do not splash at the surface. Never feed, bait, chase or block them, and never carry speared fish. If a shark raises its head, arches its back and lowers its tail, it is giving a threat display: move slowly away.

Fun fact

Tap the bulb to light it up.

Where you may meet it

Silky shark in the Ocean Atlas

Places we have researched where this animal is recorded. It is never guaranteed, and some places are for watching from the boat only.

FijiTanzaniaW. SaharaCanadaUnited States of AmericaKazakhstanUzbekistanPapua New GuineaIndonesiaArgentinaChileDem. Rep. CongoSomaliaKenyaSudanChadHaitiDominican Rep.RussiaBahamasFalkland Is.NorwayGreenlandFr. S. Antarctic LandsTimor-LesteSouth AfricaLesothoMexicoUruguayBrazilBoliviaPeruColombiaPanamaCosta RicaNicaraguaHondurasEl SalvadorGuatemalaBelizeVenezuelaGuyanaSurinameFranceEcuadorPuerto RicoJamaicaCubaZimbabweBotswanaNamibiaSenegalMaliMauritaniaBeninNigerNigeriaCameroonTogoGhanaCôte d'IvoireGuineaGuinea-BissauLiberiaSierra LeoneBurkina FasoCentral African Rep.CongoGabonEq. GuineaZambiaMalawiMozambiqueeSwatiniAngolaBurundiIsraelLebanonMadagascarPalestineGambiaTunisiaAlgeriaJordanUnited Arab EmiratesQatarKuwaitIraqOmanVanuatuCambodiaThailandLaosMyanmarVietnamNorth KoreaSouth KoreaMongoliaIndiaBangladeshBhutanNepalPakistanAfghanistanTajikistanKyrgyzstanTurkmenistanIranSyriaArmeniaSwedenBelarusUkrainePolandAustriaHungaryMoldovaRomaniaLithuaniaLatviaEstoniaGermanyBulgariaGreeceTurkeyAlbaniaCroatiaSwitzerlandLuxembourgBelgiumNetherlandsPortugalSpainIrelandNew CaledoniaSolomon Is.New ZealandAustraliaSri LankaChinaTaiwanItalyDenmarkUnited KingdomIcelandAzerbaijanGeorgiaPhilippinesMalaysiaBruneiSloveniaFinlandSlovakiaCzechiaEritreaJapanParaguayYemenSaudi ArabiaN. CyprusCyprusMoroccoEgyptLibyaEthiopiaDjiboutiSomalilandUgandaRwandaBosnia and Herz.MacedoniaSerbiaMontenegroKosovoTrinidad and TobagoS. SudanMoʻorea, French PolynesiaRurutu, French PolynesiaMalpelo, ColombiaGorgona, ColombiaNuquí, Bahía Solano and Utría, ColombiaProvidencia and Santa Catalina, ColombiaSan Andrés, ColombiaLa Ventana, MexicoGuadalupe Island, MexicoTrincomalee and Nilaveli, Sri LankaPort Sudan reefs and Sanganeb, SudanDungonab Bay, SudanLa Digue, SeychellesMahé, SeychellesPraslin and Curieuse, SeychellesFernando de Noronha, BrazilAbrolhos, BrazilPraia do Forte, BrazilSanta Catarina whale coast, BrazilBonito, BrazilInner Hebrides (Coll, Tiree and Mull), United KingdomMoray Firth and Chanonry Point, United KingdomOrkney and Scapa Flow, United KingdomFarne Islands, United KingdomLundy, United KingdomFlorida Keys (Key Largo), United StatesLa Jolla and the Channel Islands, United StatesMaui, United StatesOʻahu, United StatesSan Diego and La Jolla, United StatesJuneau and Southeast Alaska, United StatesGlacier Bay, United StatesSeward and Kenai Fjords, United StatesTristao Islands, GuineaTorshavn and Sandagerdi, Faroe IslandsSalomon Atoll, Chagos (British Indian Ocean Territory)Peros Banhos, Chagos (British Indian Ocean Territory)Mayumba National Park, GabonLoango National Park, GabonAmed, Bali, IndonesiaGili Trawangan, IndonesiaKomodo, IndonesiaGili Air, IndonesiaMaratua and Derawan, IndonesiaRaja Ampat, IndonesiaNusa Penida, IndonesiaLovina, Bali, IndonesiaTamarin and Flic en Flac, MauritiusBlue Bay and Mahébourg, MauritiusBelle Mare, MauritiusRodrigues, MauritiusSkjervøy and Kvænangen, NorwayBaird Bay and Eyre Peninsula, AustraliaBarunguba and Narooma, AustraliaBremer Bay, AustraliaCairns, Port Douglas and the Ribbon Reefs, AustraliaChristmas Island, AustraliaCocos (Keeling) Islands, AustraliaLady Elliot Island, AustraliaLord Howe Island, AustraliaNingaloo, AustraliaRowley Shoals, AustraliaTasman Peninsula and Eaglehawk Neck, AustraliaMaria Island and the east coast, AustraliaMayotte lagoon, MayotteIfaty and Mangily, MadagascarNosy Be, MadagascarÎle Sainte-Marie, MadagascarTofo, MozambiqueCoron, Palawan, PhilippinesMoalboal, Cebu, PhilippinesPanglao and Balicasag, Bohol, PhilippinesSiquijor, PhilippinesApo Island and Dauin, PhilippinesApo Reef, PhilippinesBoracay, PhilippinesEl Nido and Bacuit Bay, PhilippinesPort Barton and San Vicente, PhilippinesTubbataha Reefs, PhilippinesAnjouan, ComorosGrande Comore, ComorosMohéli, ComorosAjaccio and the Gulf of Ajaccio, FranceBonifacio, Porto-Vecchio and the Lavezzi Islands, FranceMarseille, the Calanques and Cassis, FrancePort-Cros, Porquerolles and Hyères, FranceVillefranche-sur-Mer and Nice, FranceGrand-Béréby, Côte d'IvoireDrake and Caño, Costa RicaQuepos and Golfo Dulce, Costa RicaIona National Park coast, AngolaKissama National Park coast, AngolaDhofar and the Hallaniyat Islands, OmanMusandam and Khasab, OmanMuscat and the Daymaniyat Islands, OmanGalápagos, EcuadorKosterhavet National Park, SwedenGullmar fjord and Lysekil, SwedenStockholm archipelago, SwedenKullaberg, SwedenOkinawa, JapanArchipelago National Park, FinlandÅland Islands, FinlandLake Saimaa and Linnansaari, FinlandHelsinki, FinlandSisters' Islands Marine Park, SingaporeSpeyside and Little Tobago, Trinidad and TobagoBuccoo Reef, Trinidad and TobagoTurtle Beach, Tobago, Trinidad and TobagoGrande Riviere, Trinidad, Trinidad and TobagoDahab, EgyptMarsa Alam, EgyptWatamu, KenyaDiani, KenyaShimoni and Kisite, KenyaRas Hafun to Alula coast, SomaliaBajuni Islands, SomaliaBourail, Poé and Déva, New CaledoniaNouméa and the Great Southern Lagoon, New CaledoniaPoindimié and Hienghène, New CaledoniaÎle des Pins (Kunié), New CaledoniaMafia Island, TanzaniaMikindani and Mnazi Bay, TanzaniaZanzibar - Matemwe, Mnemba and Chumbe, TanzaniaPerhentian Islands, MalaysiaTioman Island, MalaysiaKavieng and New Ireland, Papua New GuineaKimbe Bay, Papua New GuineaMilne Bay, Papua New GuineaTufi (Oro Province), Papua New GuineaLakshadweep (Agatti, Bangaram, Kadmat), IndiaNetrani and Murudeshwar, IndiaSwaraj Dweep (Havelock) and Barren Island, IndiaFaial and Horta, PortugalMadeira, PortugalPico (Madalena and Lajes), PortugalPrincess Alice Bank, PortugalBimini, The BahamasAndros, The BahamasExuma Cays, The BahamasEleuthera, The BahamasAda Foah and the Volta estuary, GhanaMuni-Pomadze, GhanaFakaofo atoll, TokelauLittle Belt, DenmarkOresund near Helsingor, DenmarkCabo de Palos and Cartagena, SpainEl Hierro and La Restinga, SpainFormentera, SpainFuerteventura, SpainGran Canaria, SpainIbiza, SpainJávea (Xàbia), SpainL'Estartit and the Medes Islands, SpainLa Herradura and Costa Tropical, SpainLa Palma, SpainLanzarote, SpainMallorca, SpainMenorca, SpainMálaga and the Costa del Sol, SpainTabarca and Alicante, SpainTarifa and the Strait of Gibraltar, SpainTenerife, SpainUmluj and the Red Sea islands, Saudi ArabiaYanbu, Saudi ArabiaJeddah and Obhur, Saudi ArabiaAl Lith, Saudi ArabiaGulf of Aqaba coast, Saudi Arabia

Travel with usComing soonTrusted referralExploringOn pause, story onlyEthics pass

Country colour: pink where we travel, blue where we are exploring or refer, grey for story only.

AngolaAustraliaThe BahamasBrazilChagos (British Indian Ocean Territory)ColombiaComorosCosta RicaCôte d'IvoireDenmarkEcuadorEgyptFaroe IslandsFinlandFranceFrench PolynesiaGabonGhanaGuineaIndiaIndonesiaJapanKenyaMadagascarMalaysiaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMozambiqueNew CaledoniaNorwayOmanPapua New GuineaPhilippinesPortugalSaudi ArabiaSeychellesSingaporeSomaliaSpainSri LankaSudanSwedenTanzaniaTokelauTrinidad and TobagoUnited KingdomUnited States
Sources for this page

Facts checked 26 September 2026. Photos: Unsplash licence, or Creative Commons as shown on each photo.

For partners

Work in ocean travel?

We are always happy to hear from exceptional local operators, accommodation, conservation organisations and destination experts. If your work fits responsible, small-group ocean travel, we would love to learn more.

Partner with Ocean Calling
You might like

New: mobula rays in La Ventana, May 2027

CHF 2,720

Book now →