Sand Tiger Shark Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Bulky, heavy-bodied build despite a relatively docile, slow-moving nature
• Flattened, conical snout that appears somewhat pointed but not sharply so
• Rows of thin, needle-like teeth that protrude and remain visible even when the mouth is closed
• Two dorsal fins of similar size, both set noticeably far back on the body
• Grayish-brown coloration scattered with rusty or reddish-brown spots, especially on younger individuals

Common look-alikes

• Great white shark: triangular, serrated teeth rather than thin needle-like ones, a more pointed snout, and no scattered spots
• Bull shark: blunt, rounded snout with no visible protruding teeth and a plain gray body
• Nurse shark: barbels near the mouth, a blunt head, and teeth hidden well inside the jaw rather than protruding

Where you'll see one

Sand tiger sharks favor temperate and subtropical coastal waters, sandy bottoms, shipwrecks, and nearshore caves in most oceans except the eastern Pacific, often hovering nearly motionless just above the seafloor in loose groups near structure.