Sharks are rarely spotted in Greece. While one can spot most sharks swimming in the Mediterranean in Greece, the attacks recorded in it have been around the French coast. The Aegean Sea, which runs along the Greece coast, has only a few recorded shark attacks. The sharks generally seen around Greece are the basking shark, thresher shark, and the dogfish – which are usually harmless.
List of the Different Types of Sharks in Greece
Species | Maximum Size | Aggressiveness |
Angel Shark | 4-7 feet | Moderately aggressive |
Angular Roughshark | 3.3-4.9 feet | Not aggressive |
Barbeled Houndshark | 1.7-2 feet | Not aggressive |
Basking Shark | 23-30 feet | Not aggressive |
Blackmouth Catshark | 2-2.2 feet | Not aggressive |
Blackspotted Smooth-hound | 1.6-3 feet | Not aggressive |
Blacktip Reef Shark | 3-4 feet | Moderately aggressive (if provoked) |
Blacktip Shark | 5-8 feet | Moderately aggressive |
Blue Shark | 6-11 feet | Not aggressive |
Bramble Shark | 9.2-10 feet | Not aggressive |
Common Smooth-hound Shark | 3-4 feet | Not aggressive |
Copper Shark | 11-12 feet | Not aggressive |
Great White Shark | 11-16 feet | Highly aggressive |
Gulper Shark | 2.5-3 feet | Not aggressive |
Kitefin Shark | 3-5 feet | Not aggressive |
Longfin Mako Shark | 12-14 feet | Highly aggressive |
Longnose Spurdog | 3-3.3 feet | Not aggressive |
Nursehound | 4.3-5.2 feet | Not aggressive |
Oceanic Whitetip Shark | 10-13 feet | Highly aggressive |
Porbeagle Shark | 6-12 feet | Not aggressive |
Sandbar Shark | 5.5-8.5 feet | Not aggressive |
Sand Tiger Shark | 7-10 feet | Not aggressive (due to their small mouths) |
Sharpnose Sevengill Shark | 2-4.6 feet | Moderately aggressive |
Shortfin Mako Shark | 6.5-9.5 feet | Highly aggressive |
Small Spotted Catshark | 2.5-3 feet | Not aggressive |
Smalltooth Sand Tiger Shark | 12-14 feet | Not aggressive |
Smooth Hammerhead Shark | 8-12 feet | Not aggressive (but are potentially dangerous) |
Smoothback Angelshark | 5-5.2 feet | Not aggressive |
Spiny Dogfish | 2.5-3.5 feet | Not aggressive (due to their small size) |
Spinner Shark | 7 -8 feet | Not aggressive |
Thresher Shark | 10-18 feet | Not aggressive |
FAQs
1. Have there been shark attacks in Greece?
Over the past 170 years, there have been only 15 shark attacks and one fatality.
2. Are the sharks in Greece endangered or going extinct?
Several species of sharks living around the Mediterranean are at risk, including the Great White Shark, the Blue Shark, the Porbeagle, and the Shortfin Mako.
3. Are there great white sharks in Greece?
Though rare, great whites have been occasionally spotted around Greece.