There is a vast stretch of coastline (more than 1500 miles) along the western edge of Peru. Naturally, there are several species of sharks living in Peruvian waters.
There are believed to be over 60 shark species in Peru. Commonly seen species include the smooth hammerhead, the common thresher, and the blue shark. Even the extremely rare megamouth shark has been seen in Peru.
List of the Different Types of Sharks in Peru
| Species | Maximum Size | Aggressiveness |
| Angel Shark | 4-7 feet | Moderately aggressive |
| Basking Shark | 23-30 feet | Not aggressive |
| Bigeye Thresher Shark | 11-16 feet | Not aggressive |
| Bignose Shark | 8.5-9.5 feet | Highly aggressive (but not dangerous since they are less encountered) |
| Birdbeak Dogfish | 3.9-4 feet | Not aggressive |
| Blacktip Shark | 5-8 feet | Moderately aggressive |
| Blue Shark | 6-11 feet | Not aggressive |
| Bluntnose Six-gill Shark | 15-20 feet | Moderately aggressive (rarely target humans, reports of just one provoked attack) |
| Bonnethead Shark | 4-5 feet | Not aggressive |
| Broadnose Sevengill Shark | 3.5-7.5 feet | Not aggressive (unless caught) |
| Brown Catshark | 1-2 feet | Not aggressive |
| Brown Smooth-hound | 1.5-2.5 feet | Not aggressive |
| Bull Shark | 7-12 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Chilean Angelshark | 3.4-3.5 feet | Not aggressive |
| Combtooth Dogfish | 1.5-2.5 feet | Not aggressive |
| Common Smooth-hound Shark | 3-4 feet | Not aggressive |
| Common Thresher Shark | 12-18 feet | Not aggressive |
| Cookiecutter Shark | 1.5-3.5 feet | Not aggressive |
| Copper Shark | 11-12 feet | Not aggressive |
| Crocodile Shark | 2.5-4 feet | Not aggressive |
| Galapagos Shark | 9.8-12 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Galapagos Bullhead Shark | 3.5-3.6 feet | Not aggressive |
| Gray Smooth-hound | 4- 4.068 feet | Not aggressive |
| Great White Shark | 11-16 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Hooktooth Dogfish | 1.9-1.96 feet | Not aggressive |
| Horn Shark | 3-4 feet | Moderately aggressive |
| Humpback Smooth-hound | 2.8-2.83 feet | Not aggressive |
| Longnose Catshark | 1.8-1.9 feet | Not aggressive |
| Longnose Velvet Dogfish | 2.1-3.4 feet | Not aggressive |
| Megamouth Shark | 13-18 feet | Not aggressive |
| Mexican Horn Shark | 3-5 feet | Not aggressive (unless provoked) |
| Nurse Shark | 7-8 feet | Not aggressive |
| Oceanic Whitetip Shark | 10-13 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Pacific Angel Shark | 4-5 feet | Not aggressive |
| Pacific Sleeper Shark | 12-15 feet | Not aggressive |
| Pelagic Thresher Shark | 13-18 feet | Not aggressive |
| Pocket Shark | 0.45-1.33 feet | Not aggressive |
| Porbeagle Shark | 6-12 feet | Not aggressive |
| Prickly Shark | 13-14 feet | Not aggressive |
| Pygmy Shark | 1-2 feet | Not aggressive |
| Red Spotted Catshark | 0.984 – 2.16 feet | Not aggressive |
| School Shark | 6-7 feet | Not aggressive |
| Sharpfin Houndshark | 3.3-3.34 feet | Not aggressive |
| Sharpnose Sevengill Shark | 2-4.6 feet | Moderately aggressive |
| Sharptooth Smooth-hound | 2-2.1 feet | Not aggressive |
| Shortfin Mako Shark | 6.5-9.5 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Sicklefin Smooth-hound | 5-5.7 feet | Not aggressive |
| Silky Shark | 7-10 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Smalltail Shark | 3.5-4.5 feet | Not aggressive |
| Smooth Hammerhead Shark | 8-12 feet | Not aggressive (but are potentially dangerous) |
| Speckled Smooth-hound | 4.2-4.25 feet | Not aggressive |
| Spotted Houndshark | 5.9-7.8 feet | Not aggressive |
| Tiger Shark | 10-14 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Whale Shark | 18-32 feet | Not aggressive |
| Whitenose Shark | 4.8-4.92 feet | Not aggressive |
| Velvet Dogfish | 2-3 feet | Not aggressive |
FAQs
1. Have there been shark attacks in Peru?
There has only been one recorded attack in Peru back in 1849. Unfortunately, it was fatal.
2. Can I go shark diving in Peru?
It is possible to go swimming with whale sharks in the Northern waters. This activity is highly preferred during the colder seasons when these gentle giants migrate towards the Peruvian coast.
