The blue shark is a slender species that gets its name from the bright
blue color of its tail and fins. It can be identified by its long, thin body
and long, conical snout. The blue is one of the most common sharks
in the sea, and is found in many parts of the world. They are often
seen swimming lazily at the surface, but have also been seen at
depths of over 1600 feet.
The
Shark Trust DANGEROUS SHARKS 
The Shark Research Program San Diego/SoCal Shark Diving Data Page Sharks in Danger
Channel 2000 - The Great Shark Mystery
BLUE SHARK ...... Prionace Glauca
Sometimes called a Blue Pointer in Australia. (The Mako has also been called a Blue
pointer in Australia and
these local terms can be confusing).This is a long thin shark that can be very fast in the
water. It is easily identified
with a rich indigo blue upper body and a white lower body. It has a very long narrow nose
and very long, slender
pectoral fins. The second dorsal fin is small. Whaler tail. It has thin triangular upper
teeth with a slight serration
and a slight hook to them. It can grow to nearly 4 metres.
It is probably the most widely distributed shark in the world and can travel huge
distances. It has been recorded to commonly travel up to 3000 km and as much as 5980 km.
It prefers a temperature between 12 - 20 degrees celsius. It is not very aggressive to
divers but has the potential to be dangerous. It has shown to be very persistent when
divers have fed them to get
closer photos. This shark is not often found near shore, preferring the open sea. Has been
found in water as deep as 350 metres. It is often found in same deep ocean areas as the
Oceanic Whitetip Shark and Tiger Shark.
From divers reports, the species seems to be fairly calm and docile during the day. In
late afternoon and dusk it can
became very persistent and even aggressive. This shark also seems to move much more
quickly in the late afternoon.
In 1989, Larry Stroup, a scuba diver in California USA was making a film about these
sharks when one of the
sharks began to bump the camera lens. A few moments later it took Larry's arm in it's
mouth. He would not let go
and damaged some of the muscle and ligaments in Larry's arm. "All I could see was its
snout,... I saw its teeth.
They weren't that big, but they looked sharp."
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On July 23, 1996, James Orlowski was bitten while swimming in about 4 foot of water
near the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. The shark was identifued as a 6-8 foot
Blue Shark. It was reported that shark sightings were common in the area but it was
unusual for anyone to be bitten. James required 46 stitches to his leg.
