Hammerhead sharks are magnificent sea creatures that can grow up to 6 metres long. This keystone species predominantly lives in coastal areas, including that of Africa, South Asia, North Australia and Central America.
Although hammerheads are considered aggressive hunters, they pose very little threat to humans. To date, there have only been 16 instances of a hammerhead biting a human, and of these, none resulted in fatality. They don’t eat mammals, so we’d never look like a tasty snack to a hammerhead!
What’s special about Hammerhead Sharks?
The most unique part of this wonderful shark are their distinctly hammer-shaped cephalofoils, which help them to detect and catch prey. The large surface area of the cephalofoils mean that hammerheads have more electroreceptors than other sharks which can help to sharpen their navigational abilities. They have also been known to pin stingrays against the sea floor using their wide heads, and have excellent vision and depth perception in relation to other sharks.
It has also been proven that hammerhead sharks can successfully tan without increasing their risk of getting skin cancer; often turning from a light grey to a darker shade in the summer months.
Are Hammerhead Sharks endangered?
There are ten species of hammerhead shark, and of these, 7 are considered endangered.
Great Hammerhead - Globally Critically Endangered
Scalloped Hammerhead - Critically Endangered
Scalloped Bonnethead - Critically Endangered
Bonnethead - Globally Endangered
Winged Shark - Endangered
Scoophead - Critically Endangered
Whitefin Hammerhead - Endangered
Carolina Hammerhead - Vulnerable
Smalleye Hammerhead - Vulnerable
Smooth Hammerhead - Vulnerable
What are the greatest threats to Hammerheads?
Hammerhead sharks have some natural predators in the ocean. Tiger sharks, great white sharks and killer whales eat hammerheads, but it is humans that are a hammerhead’s greatest threat. Many hammerhead sharks are killed for their fins to make shark fin soup; up to 2.7 million scalloped and smooth hammerheads murdered for this so called “delicacy” per year. So, despite being known as gentle, inquisitive creatures to humans, we still brutally murder them in their millions.
Global warming also affects hammerheads. Environmental changes influence water temperature and alter nutrient cycles. Young sharks are also impacted; changing oceans result in decreased productivity in coastal nursery areas.
