Sharks in Cook Islands

The Cook Islands consist of 15 separate islands in the Pacific Ocean. Naturally, they are also home to several shark species. Commonly seen sharks include several species of reef and hammerhead sharks and others like the nurse, blue, and lemon sharks.

Sharks in Cook Islands

List of the Different Types of Sharks in the Cook Islands

Species Maximum Size Aggressiveness
Blacktip Reef Shark 3-4 feet Moderately aggressive (if provoked)
Blue Shark 6-11 feet Not aggressive
Bluntnose Sixgill Shark 15-20 feet Moderately aggressive (rarely target humans, reports of just one provoked attack)
Bull Shark 7-12 feet Highly aggressive
Common Thresher Shark 12-18 feet Not aggressive
Cookiecutter Shark 1.5-3.5 feet Not aggressive
Galapagos Shark 9.8-12 feet Highly aggressive
Great Hammerhead Shark 15-20 feet Highly aggressive
Gray Reef Shark 4-5 feet Highly aggressive
Lemon Shark 9-10 feet Not aggressive
Longfin Mako Shark 12-14 feet Highly aggressive
Nurse Shark 7-8 feet Not aggressive
Oceanic Whitetip Shark 10-13 feet Highly aggressive
Pelagic Thresher Shark 13-18 feet Not aggressive
Prickly Shark 13-14 feet Not aggressive
Scalloped Hammerhead Shark 9-12 feet Moderately aggressive
Shortfin Mako Shark 6.5-9.5 feet Highly aggressive
Silky Shark 7-10 feet Highly aggressive
Silvertip Shark 6.6-9.8 feet Moderately aggressive
Tiger Shark 10-14 feet Highly aggressive
Whale Shark 18-32 feet Not aggressive
Whitetip Reef Shark 3-5.5 feet Moderately aggressive (only when provoked)

Recent Cases of Shark Attacks in Cook Islands >>

FAQs

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There have been three recorded shark attacks in the Cook Islands. Unfortunately, two of those were fatal.

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