Sri Lanka is home to 60 shark species, including the great white, the whale shark, and the tiger shark. Despite this, human-shark interactions rarely turn sour, and the Sri Lankan government protects several sharks.
List of the Different Types of Sharks in Sri Lanka
| Species | Maximum Size | Aggressiveness |
| Arabian Smooth-hound | 4.9-4.92 feet | Not aggressive |
| Big Eye Thresher Shark | 11-16 feet | Not aggressive |
| Bigeye Sand Tiger Shark | 11-12 feet | Not aggressive (show aggression only if provoked) |
| Bignose Shark | 8.5-9.5 feet | Highly aggressive (but not dangerous since they are less encountered) |
| Blackspot Shark | 3-3.1 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 |
| Bluntnose Six-gill Shark | 15-20 feet | Moderately aggressive (rarely targets humans, reports of just one provoked attack) |
Bramble Shark |
9.2-10 feet | Not aggressive |
| Bristly Catshark | 0.65-0.85 feet | Not aggressive |
| Broadfin shark | 5.7-5.74 feet | Not aggressive |
Broadnose Sevengill Shark |
3.5-7.5 feet | Not aggressive (unless caught) |
| Common Thresher Shark | 12-18 feet | Not aggressive |
Coral Catshark |
2-2.3 feet | Not aggressive |
| Crocodile Shark | 2.5-4 feet | Not aggressive |
| Dwarf False Catshark | 2-2.1 feet | Not aggressive |
| Graceful Shark | 5.5-5.6 feet | Not aggressive (potentially dangerous) |
| Great Hammerhead Shark | 15-20 feet | Highly aggressive |
Great White Shark |
11-16 feet | Highly aggressive |
Grey Bamboo Shark |
2.3-2.5 feet | Not aggressive |
| Grey Reef Shark | 4-5 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Grey Sharpnose Shark | 2.3-2.9 feet | Not aggressive |
| Gulper Shark | 2.5-3 feet | Not aggressive |
| Hardnose Shark | 3.5-3.6 feet | Not aggressive |
| Hooktooth Shark | 2.2-3.3 feet | Not aggressive |
| Kitefin Shark | 3-5 feet | Not aggressive |
| Leafscale Gulper Shark | 5-5.2 feet | Not aggressive |
Lemon Shark |
9-10 feet | Not aggressive |
Longfin Mako Shark |
12-14 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Megamouth Shark | 13-18 feet | Not aggressive |
Milk Shark |
3.6-3.7 feet | Not aggressive |
| Oceanic Whitetip Shark | 5-8 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Ornate Dogfish | 0.98-1 feet | Not aggressive |
Pelagic Thresher Shark |
13-18 feet | Not aggressive |
| Pigeye Shark | 6.2-8.2 feet | Not aggressive (but potentially dangerous) |
| Pondicherry Shark | 3-3.3 feet | Not aggressive |
| Prickly Shark | 13-14 feet | Not aggressive |
| Pygmy Ribbontail Catshark | 0.78-0.8 feet | Not aggressive |
| Roughskin Dogfish | 3.9-4 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) |
Scalloped Hammerhead Shark |
9-12 feet | Moderately aggressive |
Shortfin Mako Shark |
6.5-9.5 feet | Highly aggressive |
Sicklefin Lemon Shark |
10-12 feet | Moderately aggressive |
| Sicklefin Weasel Shark | 3.5-3.6 feet | Not aggressive |
Silky Shark |
7-10 feet | Highly aggressive |
Silvertip Shark |
6.6-9.8 feet | Moderately aggressive |
| Slender Bamboo Shark | 2.1-2.2 feet | Not aggressive |
| Sliteye Shark | 2-2.3 feet | Not aggressive |
Smalltooth Sand Tiger Shark |
12-14 feet | Not aggressive |
| Smooth Hammerhead Shark | 8-12 feet | Not aggressive (but are potentially dangerous) |
| Snaggletooth Shark | 7.8-7.9 feet | Not aggressive |
| Spadenose Shark | 2-2.4 feet | Not aggressive |
Spinner Shark |
7 -8 feet | Not aggressive |
| Spot-tail Shark | 5-5.3 feet | Not aggressive |
| Starry Smooth-hound | 4-4.7 feet | Not aggressive |
Tawny Nurse Shark |
9.6-10 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 |
Whitetip Reef Shark |
3-5.5 feet | Moderately aggressive (only when provoked) |
| Winghead Shark | 6-6.2 feet | Not aggressive |
Zebra Shark |
8.2-11 feet | Not aggressive |
Recent Cases of Shark Attacks in Sri Lanka >>
FAQs
1. Have there been shark attacks in Sri Lanka?
Shark attacks in Sri Lanka are sporadic (the last recorded instance was in 1970), and most tend to be non-fatal.
2. Are there great white sharks in Sri Lanka?
Yes, great whites swim regularly in Sri Lankan waters. However, they generally do not go near beaches.
3. Can I go diving with sharks in Sri Lanka?
Yes, on Pigeon Island, you can go snorkeling with blacktip reef sharks, and on the West Coast, you can interact with whale sharks.
