The coast of Oregon has around 15 shark species, including the dangerous great white responsible for 27 of the 28 unprovoked attacks in the state.
The International Shark Attack File’s database has recorded 31 shark attacks in Oregon. The only fatal attack occurred in 1975, which took the life of a 62-year-old woman. However, the tragedy resulted from a sea disaster, and the sharks underwater attacked the woman when her fishing boat sank along the Oregon coast. The latest attack occurred in 2020, where Cole Herrington, a surfer, wounded his leg, ankle, and foot after a great white shark bit him near Seaside Cove.
List of the Different Types of Sharks in Oregon
Species | Maximum Size | Aggressiveness |
Blue Shark | 6-11 feet | Not aggressive |
Great White Shark | 11-16 feet | Highly aggressive |
Spiny Dogfish | 2.5-3.5 feet | Not aggressive (due to their small size) |
Salmon Shark | 8-10 feet | Not aggressive |
Soupfin Shark | 5-6 feet | Not aggressive |
Common Thresher Shark | 12-18 feet | Not aggressive |
Basking Shark | 23-30 feet | Not aggressive |
Bluntnose Sixgill Shark | 15-18 feet | Not aggressive (unless provoked) |
Pacific Sleeper Shark | 12-15 feet | Not aggressive |
Shortfin Mako Shark | 6.5-9.5 feet | Highly aggressive |
Broadnose Sevengill Shark | 3.5-7.5 feet | Not aggressive (unless caught) |
Leopard Shark | 6-7 feet | Not aggressive |
Pacific Angelshark | 4-5 feet | Highly aggressive |
Brown Smooth-hound | 1.5-2.5 feet | Not aggressive |
Small-spotted Catshark | 1.5-3 feet | Not aggressive |
Brown Catshark | 1-2 feet | Not aggressive |
Interesting Facts
- A dead shark with a height and weight of 9 feet and 120 pounds was found along the shores of the Oregon Coast in June 2022.
- In 2021, a crew of the United States Coast Guard captured a 10-12 feet long great white swimming close to their vessel for a couple of minutes about two miles off the Oregon Coast. The crew members were elated at the sight of the shark, considering themselves fortunate enough to spend around ten minutes with this lovely creature.
Are there bull sharks in the rivers of Oregon?
Bull sharks do not inhabit the Columbia River and other rivers of Oregon since they prefer to live in warmer waters.