Sharks are one of the most powerful predators of the sea! Sharks are carnivores which means that they eat meat from other animals. Here, we will take a look at some of the creatures in the sea and if sharks eat them or not.
Table of Contents
Do sharks eat turtles?
Sharks will eat sea turtles. Tiger sharks, in particular, especially seem to enjoy eating sea turtles. These sharks have actually evolved to grow a specialized tooth that is able to cut through the shell of a sea turtle. They will hold onto the turtle in their mouth and then shake their head until the tooth is able to go into the sea turtle’s shell.
RELATED: Shark Photo Quiz – Can You Recognize These Sharks?
Do sharks eat other sharks?
It is actually very common for one shark to eat another shark. Older, stronger sharks, have often been observed eating smaller, younger sharks. There are more than 300 species of sharks in the world and new species are being discovered every year. A degree of cannibalism can be found in nearly every species of shark in the wild.
Do sharks eat jellyfish?
Many sharks will eat jellyfish. All of the sharks that eat jellyfish are considered to be “pelagic sharks.” Pelagic sharks are sharks that live in open waters. Do the sharks ever get stung by jellyfish? Most jellyfish are actually pretty small and they will not pose any threat to sharks. Large jellyfish have a lot more venom so if a shark sees a large jellyfish, they will usually try to avoid it to prevent getting stung.
Read more about it in our post – Do Sharks Eat Jellyfish?
Do sharks eat dolphins?
Large sharks will sometimes eat dolphins. In the wild, a shark may pick off a young dolphin calf or a sick adult dolphin. Sharks are one of the main predators of dolphins and it is estimated that one-third of dolphins that live off the coast of the United States have scars on their bodies from shark attacks. The best defense that dolphins have against sharks is that they stick together in pods and will work together to defend one of their own against a shark.
Do sharks eat octopuses?
Sharks are not a big fan of eating octopus. Sharks are more likely to eat squid than an octopus. But a large octopus can eat a small shark! An octopus will suffocate a shark before eating it, but it is usually small shark species or infant sharks that have to be on the lookout for octopus.
Do sharks eat crabs?
Sharks will eat crabs and other crustaceans (like lobsters). The smooth dogfish, a small and slender member of the shark family, especially loves to eat crabs and lobsters. Crabmeat is a great source of nutrients for hungry sharks.
Read more in our post – Do Sharks Eat Crabs?
Do sharks eat birds?
Some sharks will eat seagulls and other seafaring birds. But baby tiger sharks will also eat common birds that you might see in your backyards, such as woodpeckers, sparrows, or doves. Tiger sharks are one of the least picky sharks out there and they will eat nearly anything that they can find.
Do sharks eat seals?
Large types of sharks, such as great white sharks will eat seals. Seals spend up to eighty percent of their time in the water so they are always at risk of being attacked by a shark or other large predators like orcas. Seal pups are at the most risk of sharks because they are not as strong of swimmers as adult seals and they cannot get away from a predator as quickly.
RELATED: Are Baby Sharks Dangerous? | Bite-Sized Knowledge
Do sharks eat people?
Sharks have a bad reputation for attacking humans, but only about a dozen of the hundreds of types of sharks have been involved in an attack on people. Humans are not a part of a shark’s traditional diet. Sharks are very curious animals and if they see a person splashing in the water, they may be confused and go to investigate.
This may lead to an accidental attack. In the case of a shark attack, most of the time, the shark will not eat the person. Instead, they may just bite them. This is because sharks are attracted to the smell of fish and other sea animals, but they are not attracted to the smell of humans.