Shark Facts For Kids

Check out our cool shark facts and download or print our sharks quiz sheet in the activity section at the end. Also check out our fun shark jokes!

What do you think of sharks? Are you scared of them, or do you think that they are a special creature?

Loads of people have built up a fear of sharks because of movies like Jaws and what the news tells us.

But actually, sharks really like us humans.

They only attack if they get scared, and when we’re flapping and jumping around in the water, they sometimes think we’re a seal!

Sharks are actually awesome creatures and here we’ve got some of the most awesome facts about them in this article. Enjoy!

Quick Facts about sharks for kids

Sharks often have a strong vision.
Sharks replace and shed their teeth on a regular basis.
Most scientists believe sharks came into existence almost 400 million years ago.
Diverse shark species have various methods of reproduction.
Sharks are actually colorblind.
Some sharks glow at night.
The full moon can have an impact on sharks.
Only 32 shark species (out of about 350) have ever been linked to human attacks.
Sharks frequently lose teeth, especially when eating, since, unlike bony fish, their teeth are not attached to the mouth.

What do Sharks look like?

Sharks are cold blooded fish that come in all kinds of sizes. They can be really small or really large. The Dwarf Lantern Shark is a baby at 6.7 inches (17 centimeters) long. How cute is that.

The Whale Shark is the biggest shark in the world. It can grow to about about 65 feet (20 meters), but a lot of them grow to about 39 feet (12 meters) long.

The most feared and ferocious Great White Shark can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh around 5000 lb.

Where do Sharks Live?

Sharks live in the ocean, from shallow water to the deepest parts of the ocean. They can be found in all five of the world’s oceans – Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic and Southern

Did you know that not all sharks live in the sea? Well some of them live in rivers, like the Bull Shark, the Spear Tooth Shark and the River Shark.

Fun Facts About Sharks

Sharks have evolved in the past 470 million years and unbelievably there are about 440 different species!

Sharks are loners and hunt and live by themselves.

Unlike other fishes, sharks do not have bones, and their skeleton is entirely made up of cartilage (Tough elastic tissue. Top of your ear is made of cartilage).

Sharks can swim at up to 35 miles per hour, but they can do this only for short distances.

Amazingly they can survive in river and sea water.

The Bull Shark actually changes things in its blood to survive in both river and sea water. That’s amazing, wonder how he does that!

Incredibly, Sharks have to continue to swim to breathe, as they cannot otherwise push water through their gills.

Shark communicate with other sharks using body language such as lowering fins and arching their backs.

Hammerhead sharks have 360 degree vision, they can see all around them, how cool is that!

Shark Skin

Apparently shark skin can be used as sandpaper. MythBusters tested it and apparently it works really well.

It is soaked in wee overnight; now that’s really gross!

Then they dry it out before using it! A shark’s skin is made of tiny scales which point towards the tail.

What this means is that there is no resistance while they’re swimming in the water so it doesn’t slow them down.

But if you rub the skin from tail to head, it feels really rough, just like sandpaper. Now that’s really weird.

Shark Teeth

Did you know that a shark never ever runs out of teeth?

They have between 5 to 15 rows of teeth arranged in layers.

Imagine having rows of teeth in your mouth? It would certainly feel quite strange don’t you think.

One Bull Shark was found with 50 rows of teeth! He must have one seriously big mouth.

If a tooth breaks off, another one grows in its place within a day. They can grow up to 50,000 teeth in a lifetime. That is incredible.

They can grow and lose over 20,000 teeth in their lives.When a shark dies their teeth don’t rot. They do eventually, but it takes about 10,000 years for this to happen. Wow!

When a baby shark is born it already has teeth and can swim away and defend itself immediately.

The Great White Shark has 4 times the bite force of a lion or a tiger, imagine that!

Items Found Inside Sharks

This will make you laugh! There have certainly been some weird and wonderful things found inside sharks!

They have found tyres, bike parts, tin cans, a polar bear, a 16th-century Portuguese medallion, license plates, boots, fur coats, and the bones of an adult, a 7 foot (2 metre) long dolphin, and bottles of wine.

They also found the remains of a knight still wearing his armour.

It was apparently found inside a Great White Shark in the 16th Century, although some people really don’t know if this is true.

They’ve also found a cannon ball, porcupines, cans of paint, livestock and crocodile heads, a reindeer with their antlers, rubber boots, pet dogs with their collars, a camera while it was still running, a horse head, a bag of money, and Barbie dolls!

Also, crazily enough, another shark had a chicken coop with chickens still inside.

It seems sharks have a taste for almost everything!

What should you do if you meet a shark in the water?

Sharks might look very scary and for centuries people have thought that they are just man-eaters, but they are actually gentle and quite like being touched by humans.

In Cape Town, South Africa, the Foster brothers used a film to prove this point.

Damon Foster says surfers should paint a big eye on their board and make sure the board isn’t shiny or glittery.

If a shark comes, the surfer should get off the board into the water, make him or herself as ‘big’ as possible and eyeball the shark.

That way the shark knows the surfer isn’t afraid and will back off. If the surfer tries to high tail it out of there, the shark then thinks that they are prey and will go on the hunt.

Well now you know what to do…get painting that big eye on your surfboard.

Mike Rutzen is South Africa’s ‘shark whisperer’! He cuddles sharks, puts them into a trance by tickling their sensory spots which are usually found under their snout, and takes rides on their backs by holding their dorsal fins.

Who would have thought that they could be so gentle? How awesome is that?

Those are our cool and interesting shark facts! See, they aren’t so bad after all! Now, why not take our quiz below to test your knowledge?

Are Sharks in Danger of Extinction

143 shark species are listed as critically endangered. meaning there is a possibility of them going extinct.

Sharks are hunted for their fins, which are a delicacy in many parts of the world. Climate change and plastic pollution is also disturbing their habit.