SHARK VS SHARK

Great hammerheadvsTiger shark

Length, weight and bite evidence—plus context from a human, city bus and blue whale. Every number below carries its uncertainty with it.

LivingSphyrna mokarran×LivingGaleocerdo cuvier
QUICK VERDICT

Great hammerhead is about 1.11× longer by these reference values.

Great hammerhead uses a 6.1 m upper reference, compared with 5.5 m for Tiger shark. Tiger shark's weight reference is about 2.0× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
AGreat hammerheadreported to 6.1 m / 20 ft
BTiger sharklargest specimens exceed 5.5 m / 18 ft
REFAdult human1.8 m · about 80 kg

Length bars use upper comparison values and do not show body depth, tail proportion or typical adult size. A long thresher tail, for example, does not equal whale-shark body mass.

02

THE NUMBERS

Side by side.

MeasureGreat hammerheadTiger shark
Length referencereported to 6.1 m / 20 ftlargest specimens exceed 5.5 m / 18 ft
Weight referencerecorded to about 450 kg / 991 lbexceptional estimate over 900 kg / 2,000 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatTropical coastal and offshore watersTropical and warm-temperate seas
DietRays, fish and smaller sharksTurtles, fishes, birds, carrion and more
03

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Great hammerhead is represented by reported to 6.1 m / 20 ft; Tiger shark by largest specimens exceed 5.5 m / 18 ft. The comparison uses the largest reported length and a record mass. Both values describe exceptional animals, not an average adult.

Bite evidence

Great hammerhead: Comparative biomechanics exist, but a simple verified maximum is not established here. Tiger shark: Popular figures are often repeated without a traceable species-level method.

Living versus extinct

Both species are living, but record-sized individuals are rare. These upper references should not be read as normal adult size.

Ecology changes the matchup

Its wide head is a sensory platform, not just an unusual silhouette. Its broad diet is real; an exact maximum bite number is not well established.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Great hammerheadFlorida MuseumTiger sharkFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →