The Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna mokarran)

This shark’s unusual name comes from the unusual shape of its head.  The shark’s eye placement, on each end of its very wide head, allows it to scan more quickly than other sharks can. The hammerhead also has special sensors across its head that helps it scan for food.  

Size – A female Hammerhead shark average at 3.65m and a male at 2.85m

Characteristics – The Hammerhead shark takes its name from its distinctively formed long, flat head.  The shape of its head makes the hammerhead more hydrodynamic.  This bigger head provides a bigger surface for detecting the electrical pulses of potential prey.  These sharks have been able to detect an electrical signal of half a billionth of a volt.

Great hammerheads are dark olive of colour with a pale underside.

They have triangular, serrated teeth.

The dorsal fin (on the back) is very large and pointed.

The shark's eyes and nostrils are at the tips of the extensions.

Diet - other small sharks, rays (including sting rays), squid and bony fish.

Life Span – females can give birth once a year to 20 – 40 live pups.  Once the pups are born the parents do not stay with them and they are left to survive on their own. The average lifespan of a hammerhead shark is 20 – 30 years.

Risk to humans - Hammerhead sharks are aggressive.  Attacks on humans have been documented and they are considered to be dangerous.

Where can they be found?  Great hammerheads inhabit shallow reefs and are found at moderate depths offshore in all tropical waters worldwide. They can sometimes be found in water less than 1m deep. They are found in warm waters but are rare in the Mediterranean.