Brown catshark (Apristurus brunneus)

Smaller than dogfish, catsharks are occasionally caught by fishermen in northern Puget Sound, although they also have been taken elsewhere. Over the past decade, state trawl surveys have captured 11 catsharks, mostly in Hood Canal and near Whidbey Island. They ranged from 6 to 21 inches long.

Catsharks are associated with soft, sandy bottom habitat and have been found in waters as shallow as 100 feet, but they seem to prefer much deeper waters — up to 4,000 feet. They eat shrimp, crabs, clams, squid and tiny fish. Unlike most sharks, these sharks lay eggs, which are deposited in egg cases attached to the bottom with tendrils. Eggs may take two years or more to hatch. Brown catsharks have long, slender bodies with two dorsal fins. Built for deep water, their smooth skin, which feels something like velvet, can be easily damaged. Maximum length is about 24 inches.

Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus)

The second-largest fish on Earth (only the whale shark is larger) once inhabited the inland waters of the Salish Sea in large numbers. Now, they are so rare that visits by a basking shark to Puget Sound becomes an event celebrated by the media. Only a few have been seen in recent years, including two recorded in the San Juan Islands in 2009, with another off Edmonds in 2014. They are still caught in commercial fisheries off the Washington coast.

Basking sharks, which can grow to 40 feet long, get their name from their tendency to stay at the surface, where they eat the plankton that grow there. These sharks were harvested in the early 1900s for their liver oil. During the period of intense commercial fishing for salmon, the sharks often became tangled in fishing nets and were considered an enemy of the fishing industry. In Canada, they were declared a “destructive pest” in 1949, after which time the government launched an eradication program that killed hundreds of the sharks. See Salish Sea Currents, April 22, 2024.

Salmon shark (Lamna ditropis)

A fast-swimming, voracious predator, the salmon shark will go after salmon and herring but are also known to consume sablefish, mackerel, anchovy, dogfish, flounder and sculpins, as well as squid, sea otters and marine birds. These sharks are common off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. Many give birth in California, and their pups then swim to Alaska, presumably coming into Puget Sound on occasion. Several are caught each year in commercial fishing nets or wash up dead on the beaches of Puget Sound, including the San Juan Islands, near Bellingham, off Bainbridge Island and in Seattle’s Elliott Bay.

Salmon sharks can grow to about 10 feet long but are typically 6.6 to 8.6 feet. They have a large front dorsal fin and a smaller second dorsal. Salmon sharks and related species—including white, mako and thresher sharks—maintain core body temperatures well above the surrounding water temperature, which is highly unusual among fish. Females give birth to four or five pups after a nine-month period of gestation.

Common thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus)

Although scattered reports of thresher sharks have been reported in Puget Sound, the only official record appears to be 12-foot shark caught with hook and line in 1972 off Sucia Island in the northern part of the San Juan Islands. The shark was stuffed and became an attractive display, hanging for years in the Shrimp Shack restaurant in Bellingham. When the restaurant closed in 2014, the shark was moved to the home of restaurant owner David James.

Common threshers grow to about 21 feet long but are more commonly 13 to 16 feet. These sharks eat small schooling fish such as herring, sardines and anchovies and are known to take crustaceans and squid. Although they are not especially aggressive, their long, sharp tails can be used to stun smaller fish. Females give birth to about four pups at a time after a nine-month gestation period. The meat of thresher sharks is prized for its flavor.

Leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata)

Several reports of leopard sharks in Puget Sound have been received in recent years by WDFW, including one caught in Chuckanut Bay (North Puget Sound) in 2022, another in Dungeness Bay (Strait of Juan de Fuca) in 2019, and one in Tulalip Bay (North Puget Sound) in 2018. Based on historical records, the numbers are either increasing or people are just seeing them more in Puget Sound, officials say, but they are still far more common along the coast. They are often found in shallow waters, where they may forage for clams, crab, shrimp, small fish and fish eggs.

Leopard sharks are easily identified by the dark, saddle-like markings across their backs and the leopard-like spots on their sides. Adults can get to 7 feet long but are typically 4 to 5 feet. Females give birth to as many as 37 pups following a gestation period of 10-12 months. Young leopard sharks quickly form schools that travel about. Sharks of the same age may vary greatly in size.

Washington coast only

Along the Washington coast in the Pacific Ocean, researchers have verified a variety of sharks. They include all the shark species found in Puget Sound—generally in much greater numbers—plus a few other species. Here are the coastal sharks not listed among the Puget Sound species.

Pacific sleeper shark (Somniosus pacificus)

Once relatively common along Washington’s outer coast, Pacific sleeper sharks range from Alaska to South America. New genetic evidence suggests that all Pacific sleeper sharks belong to a single stock. Females have been known to reach 14.5 feet, with males slightly smaller, but very large sharks — up to 23 feet — have been recorded by submersible cameras at great depths. 

Blue shark (Prionace glauca)

Blue sharks are a deep blue color on top, lighter blue on the sides and white on the belly, with long pectoral fins. They can grow to 13 feet, with males slightly smaller than females. This species is found off every continent in the world except Antarctica and is one of the widest-ranging shark species. They live in waters down to 3,200 feet and are known to eat squid, octopuses, crabs, a variety of bony fish, porpoises and occasionally seabirds. 

White shark (Carcharodon carcharias)

Female white sharks, better known as great white sharks, can grow to 20 feet, with males reaching 18 feet, although 13- to 16-foot whites are more common. They range widely over thousands of miles and are found in most oceans of the world. They are often seen around colonies of seals and sea lions, but they also eat a variety of fish and squid and will scavenge dead whales on the bottom.  Reports of white sharks in Puget Sound, including one that supposedly washed up on Vashon Island, have never been scientifically confirmed, experts say.

Shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus)

These pointy-snouted sharks with big black eyes are among the fastest predators in the ocean, reaching speeds to at least 43 miles per hour. Typical makos are six to seven feet, although some 12-footers have been reported. They are seen throughout the world, and on the West Coast range from southern Washington to Baja California. Diet studies off California reveal that these sharks feed primarily on jumbo squid; marine mammals; and smaller fish, including sardines, mackerel, tuna and sharks.

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