Shark guide

The rear view of a basking shark (Ceterhinus maximus) feeding at the surface on plankton. Photographed in June. Cairns Of Coll, Isle of Coll, Inner Hebrides, Scotland. British Isles. North East Atlantic Ocean - Alexander Mustard/2020VISION

Contrary to popular belief, sharks do live in the seas around Northern Ireland.

In fact, we have more than 20 species! Including some of the fastest, rarest and largest in the world!

Discover the sharks, skates and rays of Northern Ireland below.

Species

Basking shark

This gentle giant is the largest shark in UK seas, reaching up to 12m in length. There's no need to fear them though, they only eat…

Species

Common skate

Despite its name, the "common" skate is not so common anymore. In fact, they are Critically Endangered.

Species

Spurdog shark

This slender shark gets its name from the spines in front of its dorsal fin. It can use these spines to defend itself by curling in a…

Species

Small-spotted catshark

Small-spotted catsharks used to be called lesser-spotted dogfish - which might be what you know them best as. It's the same shark,…

Species

Blue shark

It's easy to see where the blue shark got its name from. These sleek, elegant sharks have beautiful metallic blue backs which…

Species

Thornback ray

The most commonly encountered ray around the British Isles, it's easy to see where the thornback ray got its name from - just check…

Species

Blonde ray

This large skate has tiny, prickly spines all over its back.

Species

Porbeagle shark

The porbeagle shark is a member of the shark family Lamnidae, making it one of the closest living relatives of the great white shark.…

Species

Undulate ray

The undulate ray has beautiful wavy patterns on its back, which helps it camouflage against the sandy seabed.

Species

Nursehound

The nursehound is a nocturnal predator, hunting smaller fish close to the seafloor.

Species

Thresher shark

The thresher shark is a migratory species and passes through UK waters in the summer months. If you’re lucky, you might see this…

Species

Spotted ray

The spotted ray is one of the smallest species of skate, growing to only 80 cm.

Species

Cuckoo ray

It’s easy to identify this distinctive skate from the black and yellow marbled eye spots on each wing.

Species

Tope shark

This slender and elegant shark species is often found close to shore all around our coasts and can grow up to 6 feet long.

Shark Guide