Common Sharks off Clearwater Beach Florida

Florida is known for sunshine, beautiful white beaches and excellent offshore fishing. In addition to the fun in the sun, the water off of Clearwater Beach, Florida has a wide variety of sharks.

Florida’s shark population consists of a variety of species, ranging from just a few feet to over 40 feet in length. Experts advise caution around sharks that are over six feet long due to the damage they can cause with a single bite. While bull sharks, tiger sharks, and great white sharks are known to attack humans and grow to this size, they are not the most commonly encountered sharks in Florida waters.

The blacktip shark is the most common shark, especially among the young, found in clearwater cuts and beaches in Florida and the Bahamas. Spinner sharks are often mistaken for blacktip sharks and are found in coastal waters. Sandbar sharks are typically found nearshore, where they feed on fish and shellfish. Blacknose sharks are commonly found in bays and lagoons in Florida and are commercially valuable but pose little threat to humans. Nurse sharks are typically found lying on the bottom and have fleshy appendages called barbels that help them detect prey. Lemon sharks are yellow-gray and commonly found around wrecks and ledges in southern coastal waters. Sharpnose sharks are small inshore species that are common in bays and estuaries, while scalloped hammerhead sharks have a distinctive flattened head and feed mainly on fish, squid, and stingrays.