SHARK VS SHARK

Oceanic whitetipvsSand tiger shark

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

LivingCarcharhinus longimanus×LivingCarcharias taurus
QUICK VERDICT

Oceanic whitetip is about 1.25× longer by these reference values.

Oceanic whitetip uses a 4 m upper reference, compared with 3.2 m for Sand tiger shark. Oceanic whitetip's weight reference is about 1.05× heavier.

01

ON THE SAME SCALE

Human. Bus. Whale.
Pick your reference.

RELATIVE LENGTH · 0–24 METERS
AOceanic whitetipreported to 4 m / 13 ft
BSand tiger sharkreported to about 3.2 m / 10.5 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.

MeasureOceanic whitetipSand tiger shark
Length referencereported to 4 m / 13 ftreported to about 3.2 m / 10.5 ft
Weight referencerecorded to 167.4 kg / 369 lbreported to about 159 kg / 350 lb
Bite forceNo dependable maximum foundUnknownNo dependable maximum foundUnknown
HabitatWarm open oceanTemperate and subtropical coasts
DietFishes, squid, turtles and carrionFishes, rays, squid and crustaceans
03

WHAT THE DATA CAN SAY

Size is not the whole animal.

Length and weight

Oceanic whitetip is represented by reported to 4 m / 13 ft; Sand tiger shark by reported to about 3.2 m / 10.5 ft. The comparison deliberately distinguishes the record from common size. Upper records vary by region and source.

Bite evidence

Oceanic whitetip: A traceable, species-wide maximum is not available. Sand tiger shark: A reliable comparable maximum was not found.

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

Most individuals are under 3 m even though larger records exist. Its protruding teeth look dramatic, but appearance alone does not reveal bite force.

04

TRACE THE CLAIMS

Sources and limits.

Oceanic whitetipFlorida MuseumSand tiger sharkFlorida MuseumHow we standardize comparisonsRead the methodology →