The Most Successful Shark in the Ocean

The blue shark is one of the ocean’s most successful nomads.

Blue sharks roam vast distances with some populations migrating nearly 10,000km across the open ocean. They can be found in every ocean on earth.

But their wide distribution has earned them a dubious distinction: the most heavily fished shark on the planet.

While it’s impossible to know for certain, scientists estimate that between 10 and 20 million blue sharks are killed every year by commercial fishing. This has caused their population to drop by a staggering 97% since the middle of the last century.

This is especially troubling because of the critical role blue sharks play in keeping our oceans healthy: As apex predators, they help control populations of smaller marine animals, preventing any one species from dominating the ecosystem. This balance ensures the stability and health of the entire marine food web.