Home › Chondrichthyes › Sphyrnidae › Great Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna mokarran)
SPECIES PROFILE
Great Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna mokarran)
Sphyrna
IUCN STATUS
Critically Endangered
CONSERVATION STATUS
Critically Endangered
CLASS
Chondrichthyes
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide; circumglobal in warm coastal waters.
DIET
Carnivore
HABITAT
Coastal and oceanic tropical and subtropical waters worldwide; Bimini is a critical nursery and adult congregation site.
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Chondrichthyes
ORDER
Carcharhiniformes
FAMILY
Sphyrnidae
GENUS
Sphyrna
📋 Description
SIZE
Large shark; females up to 6 m and 580 kg; males smaller at 3–4 m; enormous sickle-shaped first dorsal fin.
COLORATION
Brown-grey dorsal surface; white underparts; uniquely flat T-shaped head (cephalofoil) with eyes at the tips.
ADAPTATIONS
Cephalofoil provides exceptional electrosensory coverage and manoeuvrability; can pin stingrays to the seafloor with its head.
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Coastal and oceanic tropical and subtropical waters worldwide; Bimini is a critical nursery and adult congregation site.
DIET
Carnivore
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide; circumglobal in warm coastal waters.
REPRODUCTION
Viviparous; 6–42 pups per litter after 11-month gestation; Bimini lagoons serve as a critical juvenile nursery area.
DIET DETAILS
Stingrays primarily; also grouper, smaller sharks, cephalopods, and crustaceans; detects buried rays with electro-ampullae.
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Finning for shark fin soup has reduced populations by 80%+ globally; bycatch and slow reproductive rate compound the decline.
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Great Hammerheads are the only shark species able to pin a stingray to the seafloor with their hammer head while biting it.
2
Their cephalofoil contains more ampullae of Lorenzini than other sharks — they can detect buried prey with extraordinary precision.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Bimini Island lagoon dive site, Bahamas — January–March shark dives with 3–5 Great Hammerheads reliably present.
Tiger Beach, Grand Bahama — mixed shark dive site where Great Hammerheads join Tiger and Lemon Sharks seasonally.
Cat Island dive sites, Bahamas — remote island with seasonal Great Hammerhead gatherings accessible by liveaboard.
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
Book a dive at Bimini from January to March; sharks are conditioned to divers and approach to within arm's reach.
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
January–March peak season when Great Hammerheads concentrate in Bimini's warm shallow waters near the Gulf Stream.
🏨 Where to Stay
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