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Are there sharks in Norway?

Which sharks live along the coast and whether they are dangerous.

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Short answer

Several shark species live in Norwegian waters, among them the spiny dogfish, the Greenland shark, the porbeagle and the basking shark. The basking shark, which can grow to more than 13 metres, feeds on plankton and is completely harmless to people. Greenland sharks live in fjords too, with no confirmed reports of attacks on humans.

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Why

  1. The Institute of Marine Research (Havforskningsinstituttet) names spiny dogfish, blackmouth catshark, Greenland shark and porbeagle as shark species in Norwegian waters, besides the basking shark.
  2. The basking shark can grow to more than 13 metres and weigh up to 19 tonnes, but it lives on plankton that it filters from the water.
  3. The Greenland shark is found along most of the Norwegian coast, at depths from the surface down to 1,200 metres.

Details

The Greenland shark can grow up to seven metres long and may live well over a hundred years. According to the Institute of Marine Research, it is again common both in Norwegian fjords and offshore, and divers who tag Greenland sharks underwater have not been attacked. The basking shark is now considered endangered, and there is no commercial fishing for it.

Tip

If you see a basking shark from a boat, keep your distance and let it feed in peace: it is harmless, but it is an endangered species.

People also ask

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Sources

Information checked on 15 October 2026.

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