1 Common thresher alopias vulpinus
- Max length 7.6m (usually 2–5m)
- UK range All around Britain, but mainly to the west and in the Channel
- Look for Huge tail; may breach
- Reporting rate **
2 Blue shark Prionace glauca
- Max length 3.8m (usually up to 2.5m)
- UK range All around Britain, but mainly in the south-west and South Wales
- Look for Slim body, long snout, bluish above
- Reporting rate **
3 Tope Galeorhinus galeus
- Max length 2m (usually up to 1.5m)
- UK range Common around UK, particularly off West Wales
- Look for Slim body, triangular dorsal fin
- Reporting rate ***
4 Great white shark Carcharodon carcharias
- Max length 7.2m
- UK range Potentially credible sightings (though very few) along our western shores
- Look for Large size, conical snout, clear line separating white and grey along flanks.
- ‘Sightings’ often of misidentified basking sharks
- Reporting rate *
5 Porbeagle Lamna nasus
- Max length 3.5m
- UK range All around Britain, but hotspots are Devon, Cornwall and northern Scotland
- Look for Stout, stocky body
- Reporting rate **
6 Shortfin mako Isurus oxyrinchus
- Max length 4m (usually up to 3.4m)
- UK range All around Britain, but mostly in the west
- Look for Stocky body, bluish above
- Reporting rate *
7 Smooth hammerhead Sphyrna zygaena
- Max length 5m (usually up to 3m)
- UK range Very rare: dead specimens found in Devon, Cornwall and South Wales
- Look for Hammer-shaped head
- Reporting rate *
