Mako Shark

The Mako Shark is a slender shaped shark with a long cone-like snout. This shark has short pectoral fins and a crescent shaped caudal (tail) fin. Its second dorsal fin is much smaller than the first. The teeth are are slender and slightly curved with no flat teeth, and are visible even when the mouth is closed. There is marked countershading on this shark: dorsally it is a metallic indigo blue while ventrally it is white.

The Mako Shark can grow to lengths of 3.9 meters (13 feet). There is still some uncertainty about its life-span, but it is suspected to reach ages of between 11-23 years. As one of the fastest sharks in the ocean, this powerful shark can attain burst swimming speeds of up to 22 mph and can leap clear of the water to heights of up to 20 feet. These qualities have made this species a sought after sport fish in some parts of its range.

The shortfin mako is found worldwide. In the western Atlantic it can be found from Argentina and the Gulf of Mexico to Browns Bank off of Nova Scotia. In Canadian waters these sharks are not abundant as they prefer warm waters. Makos are often found in the same waters as swordfish as they are a source of food and both fish prefer similar environmental conditions.