There are 17 shark species in the waters of Hong Kong. However, most of them are at risk due to overfishing and indiscriminate killings out of fear.
Sharks around Hong Kong include the whale shark, the milk shark, and the slender bamboo shark.
List of the Different Types of Sharks in Hong Kong
| Species | Maximum Size | Aggressiveness |
Blacktip Reef Shark |
3-4 feet | Moderately aggressive (if provoked) |
| Blacktip Shark | 5-8 feet | Moderately aggressive |
Bull Shark |
7-12 feet | Highly aggressive |
Gray Reef Shark |
4-5 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Great Hammerhead Shark | 15-20 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Grey Sharpnose Shark | 2.3-2.9 feet | Not aggressive |
| Hardnose Shark | 3.5-3.6 feet | Not aggressive |
Milk Shark |
3.6-3.7 feet | Not aggressive |
Scalloped Hammerhead Shark |
9-12 feet | Moderately aggressive |
Silky Shark |
7-10 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Slender Bamboo Shark | 2.1-2.2 feet | Not aggressive |
| Spadenose Shark | 2-2.4 feet | Not aggressive |
| Spot-tail Shark | 5-5.3 feet | Not aggressive |
Tiger Shark |
10-14 feet | Highly aggressive |
Whale Shark |
18-32 feet | Not aggressive |
| White Spotted Bamboo Shark | 2-3 feet | Not aggressive |
| Whitecheek Shark | 3.2-3.3 feet | Not aggressive |
FAQs
1. Have there been shark attacks in Hong Kong?
Notably, between 1991 and 1995, there were seven shark attacks on humans. This led to a “Great Shark Hunt”, where people would go out in boats with chickens on both sides to attract sharks towards them to kill them. However, there haven’t been any fatal attacks on Hong Kong beaches in over 25 years.
2. Are the sharks in Hong Kong endangered or going extinct?
As shark finning is sadly a common practice in Hong Kong, over two-thirds of the sharks sold nowadays face extinction. Shark finning is becoming less popular, though.
3. Can you go swimming with sharks in Hong Kong?
Yes, there are places where you can go swimming with whale sharks in Hong Kong.
4. Are there great white sharks around Hong Kong?
There haven’t been any reports of great white sharks swimming in Hong Kong waters.
