Here Are The Sharks Of The Jersey Shore

Yikes! It's Shark Week, people. And yes, there are sharks of the Jersey Shore. We made a list of some you can spot!

Some species of shark really do call the Jersey Shore home. New Jersey's waters are home to several shark nursery areas. What's that, you ask? Nursery areas are where juvenile sharks are more commonly encountered. Or, where juvenile sharks have a tendency to remain for extended periods of time to grow, feed, and try to stay hidden from potential predators.

Because of the close proximity of these areas to the New Jersey shores, we can spot some cool sharks. A lot of energy is spent thinking sharks are evil monsters, but they're actually pretty chill! Of course, get out of the water if they are swimming nearby. They have poor eyesight and tend to mistake us for prey. But in reality, sharks fear us. So don't be afraid if you see a shark at the Jersey Shore. Instead, take some pictures (from a distance), and enjoy the sighting.

This list contains the most common sharks you can find at the Jersey Shore. It is not exhaustive, and you can (more uncommonly) spot other sharks in the area as well. These guys, however, have confirmed nurseries in the area.

Sandbar Sharks have been found to use Barnegat Bay and Delaware Bay as nursery areas. They reside really close to the shores of New Jersey. Shark tagging, the practice of tracking these creatures, has found that this species is one of the most common in the area.

There is a Smooth Dogfish Shark nursery in shallow tidal waters at the Jersey Shore, particularly Great Bay and Little Egg Harbor. They're tinier sharks (still about 5 feet long, though), and they have flat teeth. They are very harmless to humans, and are really cool to look at.

There's a Sand Tiger Shark nursery, found in 2016, in Long Island. That nursery funnels the sharks South to the shores of New Jersey. They LOOK scary, but they're actually really docile. They just have a lot of teeth, which is admittedly freaky.

When you think of sharks, you probably think of these guys, thanks to Jaws. A Great White Shark nursery was confirmed to be found in New Jersey in 2018. Again, they're not as scary as popular media makes them seem. They're very majestic creatures.

What a derpy little guy! So cute! Threshers Sharks have big dark eyes that make them look adorable. These guys are found along the the Jersey Shore. There are no confirmed nurseries for them, but they have been spotted commonly!

These guys have long noses and big eyes. They're also found just generally along the Jersey Shore. They're more of a seasonal sight, so summer is the time to look for them.