Do you hear that ominous “dun-dun…dun-dun…” sound in the water? 🌊🎶 It can only mean one thing – Shark Week is near, and it’s time to dive into a sea of knowledgeable fun! 🦈🌊
Whether you’re a seasoned shark enthusiast or a casual Discovery Channel viewer, we’ve got a boatload of fin-tastic trivia questions that will put your shark knowledge to the test!
From the fearsome Great White to the adorable Baby Shark, get ready to embark on a jaw-some adventure through the world of sharks. Ok, no more shark puns!
So, whether you’re hosting a Shark Week viewing party with your school of friends or simply seeking to impress your buddies with all the animal knowledge you possess, our trivia questions will surely make a splash! Answer them with a bestie or with animal-loving children or challenge your fellow shark enthusiasts in a trivia showdown that’s sure to be as epic as a Great White’s breach!
Are you ready to discover some fascinating new facts about these underwater creatures? Let’s do this!
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45 Shark Trivia Questions And Answers
What year did the first-ever “Shark Week” air on television?
Answer: 1988
In what month does the week-long program “Shark Week” take place?
Answer: July
What is the largest species of shark?
Answer: Whale Shark
How many bones do sharks have in total?
Answer: 0
What is a shark’s skeleton made of?
Answer: Cartilage.
What is the s scientific name for the shark that’s known as the “Great White”?
Answer: Carcharodon carcharias
What is a group of sharks called?
Answer: A school or a shoal
Which term is used to refer to baby sharks?
- a) Cub
- b) Foal
- c) Pup
- d) Gosling
Answer: Pup. Pup is also used to describe baby dogs, seals, or wolves.
What famous 1975 thriller film is often credited with creating a fear of sharks among moviegoers?
Answer: Jaws
What 2010 Australian thriller survival film follows a group of people stranded in the water, surrounded by sharks, after their boat sinks?
Answer: The Reef
First there was “Cocaine Bear,” now there’s “Cocaine Sharks”, a documentary that explores what?
Answer: Whether sharks are feeding on drugs dumped off Florida’s coast.
Which species of shark is the fastest swimmer?
Answer: The mako shark. It can clock in at speeds of 60 mph (96 mph)!
Which sharks are commonly found off Massachusetts during the summer where they chase seals for food?
- a) Salmon shark
- b) White shark
- c) Bull shark
- d) Spinner shark
Answer: White shark
True or false: All sharks have three rows of teeth.
Answer: False, they have multiple rows; some species have up to 3000 teeth!
What is the smallest species of shark?
Answer: Dwarf lantern shark (with an average length of 6.3 inches for males and 7.4 inches for females).
In the song “Baby Shark,” what family member follows the baby shark?
Answer: Mama Shark
In the movie “Finding Nemo,” what is the name of the vegetarian shark who attends Fish-Eaters Anonymous meetings?
Answer: Bruce
Which sharks can be found jumping into the air and doing somersaults off Florida beaches during the spring?
- a) Lemon shark
- b) White shark
- c) Blacktip shark
- d) Hammerhead shark
Answer: Blacktip shark
What must sharks do to keep from sinking?
- a) turn upside-down
- b) continue swimming
- c) tense all their muscles
Answer: Continue swimming.
How do sharks detect prey from a distance?
Answer: They use their keen sense of smell.
How long can a whale shark grow up to?
- a) Up to 6 feet
- b) Up to 10 feet
- c) Up to 20 feet
- d) Up to 40 feet
Answer: Up to 40 feet (12 meters)
What is the purpose of a shark’s dorsal fin?
Answer: It helps stabilize the shark while swimming.
Which prehistoric and extinct species of shark is known for its spiral-shaped teeth?
Answer: Helicoprion. They have a unique morphological feature called “tooth whorls”.
Can you name all the senses that sharks have?
Answer: In addition to those we have – sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste, they also have the ability to sense electrical currents and pressure changes.
Which is the largest known shark to produce bioluminescence (glow in the dark)?
Answer: The kitefin shark
How many people do sharks kill each year on average?
Answer: Less than 10. Every year, there are fewer than 10 deaths globally due to shark attacks on humans. To put that in perspective, around 2,000 people die every year from being struck by lightning! This means that a human’s chance of dying from a shark attack is beyond minimal.
Can you name a type of shark that is known for its elongated, needle-like teeth?
Answer: Sand tiger sharks, bull sharks, finetooth sharks, and blue sharks.
What is the largest living predatory shark?
Answer: Great White Shark
Which shark has the jaws to eat and regularly is found chasing loggerhead sea turtles?
- a) Tiger shark
- b) Mako shark
- c) Blue shark
- d) Lemon shark
Answer: Tiger shark
Which kind of shark is most likely to be found in a large group?
Answer: Hammerhead shark
What extinct shark species lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago, and is considered to be the largest shark, as well as the largest fish, that ever lived?
Answer: Megalodon. Scientists estimate that megalodon grew to lengths of 60 feet or more, making it three times larger than the largest great white shark on record!
Which shark species can survive in both saltwater and freshwater?
Answer: Bull shark
What is the most common type of shark attack?
- a) Bump-and-Bite Attacks
- b) Hit-and-Run Attacks
- c) Sneak Attacks
Answer: A “hit-and-run” attack, where the shark bites and then quickly releases its victim.
Which shark has a hammer-shaped head?
Answer: Hammerhead shark
What is the type of shark featured in the movie “Jaws”?
Answer: Great White Shark.
What bodily feature allows a shark to stay buoyant in the water?
Answer: Unlike many bony fishes, sharks do not have a swim bladder to provide buoyancy. To help compensate for their tendency to sink, their livers contain large amounts of oil that is less dense than seawater.
What popular kid’s cartoon series features a character named Sharko, who constantly protects Marina from a hyena’s schemes?
Answer: Zig and Sharko
Which ’90s shark-themed movie stars LL Cool J and Samuel L. Jackson and takes place in a research facility?
Answer: Deep Blue Sea
What TV network hosts the annual event called “Shark Week,” a week-long programming block dedicated to shark-themed shows and documentaries?
Answer: Discovery Channel
Which celebrity faced off against a mechanical shark during “Shark Week 2015” in a special called “____ vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White”?
Answer: Michael Phelps
Which species of shark was the first to be protected by being put on the Threatened Species List?
- a) Whale Shark
- b) Grey Reef Shark
- c) Grey Nurse Shark
- d) Tiger Shark
Answer: Grey Nurse Shark
In the movie “Shark Tale,” what species is the main character Oscar, voiced by Will Smith?
Answer: A fish, specifically a cleaner wrasse
In the animated film “Shark Tale,” what is the name of the shark mob boss, voiced by Robert De Niro?
Answer: Don Lino
What TV movie franchise features a series of films with titles like “”Sharknado,” “Sharknado “____ 2: The Second One,” and “_____ 3: Oh Hell No!”?
Answer: Sharknado
What film, released in 2020, is the sequel to a 2018 movie and features the return of the massive prehistoric shark?
Answer: “The Meg 2: The Trench”
We hope you had fun with our Shark Week-themed trivia!
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