Sharks that swim close to the shore?

Question

When sharks swim close to the shore, why don't they become beached (like a whale)? How do they keep going?

Answer 1

Well to start whales are far larger than sharks and it is harder for them to move around. Shore line sharks swim in water 3"+ deep water and always have time and space to move into deeper water.

Most whales end up being beached due to an illness or being close to death. They become confused and end up on the beach or do not have the strength to stay up (since they need air) so they will swim to close to shore... the tide will move out and they end up being beached.

On that note there are many cases of sharks doing the same thing. Ill, injured, dying sharks are found on the beach from time to time as well.... mostly from them not having enough strenght and the tide forcing them in.

Answer 2

First, sharks generally have a lower profile (vertical body size) than whales or dolphins making it easier to swim in very shallow water. Also, the movement of the dolphin or whale requires that the body be able to move up and down for the flukes to work. This means that the dolphin or whale will need an extra amount of depth to allow for this movement in order to not become stuck. The shark, on the other hand, does not move it's body up and down but side to side again, allowing for it to move in shallower water than a whale or dolphin. Finally, almost all the sharks you see in very shallow water are actually fairly small in size (perhaps 3-6 feet) as opposed to most whales at over 20 feet or even bottlenosed dolphin at 6-10 feet.

Answer 3

Whales usually don't get beached when they are healthy or in a reasonably "clean" envirnment. Numerous whales that got beached were found to have suffered from infections or had followed their sick leading animal. In some cases, whales can get confused due to noise polution.

Orcas at times voluntarily beach themselves to catch seals right off the beach. It's a tricky business, for they have to somehow make sure they can get back into the water.

Sick sharks usually don't beach. Moreover, sharks don't take prey off the beach. Hence, beaching is far less likely. Nonetheless, sharks can be found in very shallow water. But usually when sharks get washed on shore they are dead already.

Answer 4

The vertical fin also helps them. They don't want to come out of the water so don't likely get beached unless a wave does it. The vertical fin can propel them in shallow water. A whale or dolphin will just slap the water with its fins because they go up and down.

Answer 5

i've got by no potential heard of any association between dolphins and sharks. I easily have heard which you should dodge swimming in places the place fairly some birds are feeding - it potential there are colleges of fish being pushed up from the backside via something that could be risky.

Answer 6

Whales breath air and they are bigger. Sharks breath inside the water only and they are smaller. That is why they have better control.

Answer 7

Im not exactly surewhy they dont get beached, i think it has something to do with their size, even a great white that can be 20ft long is still pretty small compared to a whale.

~Drak

Answer 8

because sharks arent naturally as big as whales and a shark will swim maybe wat 6 7 feet in the water tat deep enough for them to swim around