Blue Shark

The blue shark Prionace glauca is considered by some shark watchers to be the most beautiful of all sharks. It has a slim, streamlined body and blue or indigo-coloured skin above. Other distinctive features are the long, pointed snout, large eyes with the black pupil surrounded by a white ring, and long, wing-like pectoral fins. The blue shark is found all over the world in temperate, sub-tropical and tropical seas, cruising mainly near the surface in higher latitudes and diving into deeper waters close to the equator. It can be found in packs of a hundred or more individuals and is one of the commonest sharks in the ocean.

The blue shark feeds mainly at night on a variety of fish species, squid, pelagic octopus and salps. At Santa Catalina island, off the California coast west of Los Angeles, blue sharks feed on swarms of mating and spawning market squid. The sharks plough through the shoals with their mouths agape, swinging their heads from side-to-side. They are such enthusiastic eaters that they gorge themselves, regurgitate their stomach contents and then start the feast all over again.