Great White Sharks in Puget Sound
Many wonder about the presence of Great White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in Puget Sound. While media portrayals can suggest a widespread presence, Great White Sharks are not residents of Puget Sound. Confirmed sightings within the Sound are exceedingly rare, typically involving transient individuals rather than an established population, differing from their common occurrences along the open Pacific coast.
These large migratory predators range widely across thousands of miles in most oceans globally. Although they occasionally approach the Washington coast, their entry into the enclosed waters of Puget Sound is uncommon. Reports of Great White Sharks in Puget Sound, including anecdotal accounts, have generally not been scientifically confirmed.
Why Puget Sound Isn’t Great White Territory
Several environmental factors contribute to why Puget Sound is not a suitable habitat for Great White Sharks. Great Whites prefer coastal and offshore waters with specific temperature ranges. Their ideal water temperature typically falls between 10 to 24 degrees Celsius (50 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit), with juvenile sharks preferring a slightly warmer band of 14 to 24 degrees Celsius (57 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit). Puget Sound’s waters are generally cooler than this preferred range, making it less hospitable for sustained residency.
The availability and concentration of prey also play a significant role. Great White Sharks are apex predators that primarily feed on marine mammals like seals and sea lions in their preferred hunting grounds. While Puget Sound hosts marine mammals such as harbor seals and sea lions, the consistent large populations necessary to support a Great White Shark presence are not as abundant or concentrated as in their typical hunting areas.
The physical characteristics of Puget Sound differ from the open ocean environments Great Whites typically inhabit. These sharks are pelagic, adapted to vast, deep, open waters for hunting and long-distance migrations. Puget Sound, while deep in parts, is a more enclosed, estuarine system with numerous channels and basins, contrasting with the expansive, open waters preferred by Great Whites. The salinity in Puget Sound is also slightly lower than the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Sharks That Do Call Puget Sound Home
Despite the absence of Great White Sharks, Puget Sound is home to several other shark species. The Pacific Spiny Dogfish (Squalus suckleyi) is the most common shark found in the Sound. These smaller sharks, typically measuring 2.5 to 3.5 feet long, are often found in large schools. They feed on small schooling fish like herring and sandlance, along with crustaceans, and are important to the ecosystem.
Another prominent resident is the Bluntnose Sixgill Shark (Hexanchus griseus). These large sharks can grow up to 16 feet long, and immature individuals are found in Puget Sound year-round, with the Sound potentially serving as a nursery for juveniles. Sixgill sharks typically inhabit deep waters but migrate into shallower areas during summer and early fall, where they are generally docile towards humans.
The Pacific Sleeper Shark (Somniosus pacificus) is also present in the deeper waters of Puget Sound. These large, heavy-bodied sharks can reach average lengths of 3.65 meters (12 feet) and are considered stealth predators, feeding by suction and cutting. Recent research has confirmed the presence of Broadnose Sevengill Sharks (Notorynchus cepedianus) and the critically endangered Soupfin Shark (Galeorhinus galeus) in South Puget Sound, indicating a broader diversity of sharks than previously documented.