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Are There Sharks in the Atlantic Ocean?

Sharks live in every sea, including the Atlantic Ocean. They are generally not found in freshwater. In the oceans of the world, sharks commonly swim, eat and live at depths of up to 7,000 feet. While they are top predators in the ocean, they are often hunted by humans for their fins, which are considered delicacies in Asia, and their meat, which also is considered a delicacy.

Atlantic Ocean
- The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean in the world; only the Pacific Ocean is bigger. As a body of water, it separates and lies between Africa, Europe, North America and South America. The Atlantic Ocean comprises nearly 80 million square kilometers and is six and a half times larger than the United States. Oil, gas, fish, sharks and a variety of marine mammals including seals and whales call the Atlantic Ocean home.
Basking Sharks
- Basking sharks are a major species of shark inhabiting the Atlantic Ocean. They are distinguished by their massive sizes and extremely large mouths filled with small teeth. Basking sharks feed on small fish and invertebrates, which they catch by swimming with their mouths wide open near the surface of the water. Basking sharks have long been prized for their liver oil, which was valued as a source of lamp oil until lamps began burning on petroleum.
Bignose Sharks
- Bignose sharks are prevalent in the Atlantic Ocean. They include whitetip and hammerhead species, both of which are commonly hunted for their fins. Bignose sharks are readily identified by their long, wide, pointed noses and prominent nasal flaps. They also have long pectoral fins and multiple dorsal fins. They are found in the waters off the coast of west Africa from Senegal to Ghana and outside of the United States near Florida south to Venezuela. Bignose sharks eat bony fish such as mackerel, sole, batfish and stingrays.
Blue Sharks
- The blue shark is a beautiful, elegant large species of shark that lives in the Atlantic Ocean. These sharks have large bodies and a striking blue color. They are sleek with long fins, a pointed nose and big eyes. Blue sharks are elegant, effective swimmers and are some of the fastest sharks in the world when it comes to leaping out of the water to catch prey. They live in the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean, rarely if ever coming near the coasts. They migrate east across the Atlantic to the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea every year. They prefer to swim in large, gender-specific schools. Their favorite food is squid.

Animals & Science