fastest shark in the ocean, full stop
- Size
- Length: 2–4 m, Weight: 100–500 kg
- Lifespan
- 20–30 years
- Diet
- Fish, squid and other sharks. Lives in deep, blue water off the continental shelf from the surface down to 150 metres. A blue water speedster, the fastest shark in the ocean, capable of bursts up to 70 km/h.
- Habitat
- Deep, blue water off the continental shelf from the surface down to about 150 metres. The shark of the warm current, following tuna and schools of baitfish in open ocean environments.
- Range
- Worldwide. In New Zealand, found in deep, blue water off the continental shelf throughout the country. Most common in northern waters, particularly off the North Island's east coast and around the Chatham Islands.
- Endemism
- Native
- Main Threats
- Commercial overfishing and bycatch in longline fisheries are the primary threats. Slow growth and low reproduction rates. Finning and recreational fishing also contribute to population declines significantly.
- Population
- At Risk - Declining. Heavily targeted by commercial longliners and recreational anglers. Slow growth and low reproduction rates make them vulnerable to overfishing. Numbers have dropped significantly in recent decades.
- Conservation Status
- At Risk - Declining
The fighter jet of the ocean. This sleek, powerful shark is built for speed and agility. It has a perfect torpedo-shaped cylinder, dark blue on the back and silvery white on the belly. A pointed snout and large black eyes define the head. Long, narrow, razor-sharp teeth are designed for slicing through the flesh of fast-moving prey. A shark that looks like it was designed in a wind tunnel. The aerodynamics are precise. The form follows function.
Sprinters of the shark world. Mako can reach speeds of over 70 kilometres per hour. They burst from the depths and launch themselves completely out of the water. One of the few sharks that can truly jump. A hooked mako is a spectacular sight. It tail-walks, spins and flies through the air like a fish possessed. The kind of sight that makes anglers forget how much the gear cost. The performance is visceral. The display is aerial.
The prize of the offshore angler. Mako are strong, fast and aggressive. They fight like nothing else in the ocean. But they are also in trouble. Numbers are dropping. Every year it gets harder to find one. The big females are gone. The jumps are fewer. The stories are older. The decline is measurable. The absence is felt. The memory persists.
Makos are warm-blooded, like great whites and tunas. They can hunt in cold water when other sharks slow down. They can dive deep and chase fast prey. They are built for performance, not for longevity. A mako lives fast and dies young, by shark standards. But they cannot outswim the longlines. The biology is advanced. The threat is industrial. The speed is insufficient.
To catch a mako is to catch a dying breed. The fish that used to be common. That used to be the reason you went offshore. That is now a rare and precious gift from a tired ocean. The shark of the fight. The one that jumps, runs and tests your gear, your skill and your patience. It leaves you shaking and grinning. You wonder how you are going to get it in the boat. The challenge is total. The reward is adrenaline.
The mako does not wonder any of that. It just fights. Until it cannot. The struggle is instinctive. The end is abrupt. The ocean is vast. The lines are many. The survival is unlikely. No one told it otherwise.