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Fish & Sharks

Blue shark

Waller's Table 4 reprints Watanabe et al. 2021: a blue shark burst of 4.5 mph (2.0 m/s), with a sustained speed of 0.895 mph (0.4 m/s).

A blue shark can swim 4.5 mph (2 m/s), a verified measurement.

Also known as Prionace glauca
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Top speed

Published as 2 m/sPublished as 2 m/sPublished as 2 m/s

Waller et al. 2023, Table 4. Blue shark, Prionace glauca, speedometer, length 5.2 feet to 5.6 feet (1.6–1.7 m), sustained 0.895 mph (0.4 m/s), burst 4.5 mph (2.0 m/s). Reference Watanabe et al. 2021. The figure is 4.5 mph (2.0 m/s).

VerifiedJournal of Fish Biology (opens source in a new tab)

In context

  • 1.4× walking paceConstant · A typical walking pace, 5 km/h
  • 19% of Usain Bolt's 100 m world-record paceSourced · Usain Bolt, 100 m in 9.58 s. World Athletics, Berlin 2009. Averaged over the race
  • A football field in 46 sConstant · American football field, 100 yd (91.44 m)

Worked out from the sourced figure above, which stays the ranked number.

Quick answers

People also ask

How fast can a blue shark swim?

A blue shark can swim 4.5 mph (2 m/s), a verified measurement.

Is that figure claimed or verified?

Blue shark is labeled Verified. Independently measured and published, for example in a peer-reviewed study or with certified timing.

What is the source?

The figure cites Journal of Fish Biology, “Blue shark burst in the large-pelagic speed table.”

Where does Blue shark rank?

Blue shark is 10th of 10 on Fastest Fish & Sharks.

Mechanism

Why it's so fast

Waller's Table 4 reprints Watanabe and colleagues 2021: a blue shark, Prionace glauca, burst of about 4.5 mph (2.0 m/s), with a sustained speed of 0.895 mph (0.4 m/s).

Species
Prionace glauca
Burst
4.5 mph (2.0 m/s)
Sustained
0.895 mph (0.4 m/s)

  1. The slowest burst in the table

    The blue shark's 4.5 mph (2.0 m/s) burst is a speedometer figure, and 0.895 mph (0.4 m/s) is the sustained speed on the same row. It is slower than the oceanic whitetip's 10.3 mph (4.6 m/s) burst. Both are real tags. What counts is the burst.

  2. Not the white shark's estimate

    The white shark's 15.0 mph (6.7 m/s) is a tailbeat estimate from a seal chase, a different species and a weaker method. The blue shark stays at 4.5 mph (2.0 m/s). The page does not lend it the larger number.

Provenance

Every measurement

Claimed, measured and official figures side by side, each with its source. The ranked figure is marked.

  1. 7.2km/h4.5mph2m/s3.9knRanked figure

    Waller et al. 2023, Table 4. Blue shark, Prionace glauca, speedometer, length 5.2 feet to 5.6 feet (1.6–1.7 m), sustained 0.895 mph (0.4 m/s), burst 4.5 mph (2.0 m/s). Reference Watanabe et al. 2021. The figure is 4.5 mph (2.0 m/s).

    0.895 mph (0.4 m/s) is the sustained speed in the same cell. The comparison uses 4.5 mph (2.0 m/s).

    Verified
    Journal of Fish Biology (opens source in a new tab)

Reference

Specs

Species
Prionace glauca
Burst
4.5 mph (2.0 m/s)
Method
Speedometer, via Waller Table 4

Context

Background

Waller's Table 4 reprints Watanabe and colleagues 2021 for the blue shark: length 5.2 feet to 5.6 feet (1.6–1.7 m), sustained 0.895 mph (0.4 m/s), burst 4.5 mph (2.0 m/s), method speedometer. The figure is 4.5 mph (2.0 m/s), qualifier verified.

The cruise stays beside the main figure. The list sorts that burst, so this row sits at the bottom of the ten.

Head to head

Compare Blue shark

Open the speed race

Spot a wrong number?

Every report is read by a person, and corrections are dated on the page.