Finland is a beautiful Nordic country that shares land borders with Sweden, Norway, and Russia. In addition, also has wet borders with the Baltic Sea. Despite the cold winters, Finland has some great, sandy beaches that are perfect for a relaxing summer vacation. But are there sharks in Finland?
There are 18 species of shark confirmed in the Baltic Sea, near Finland. However, according to CMS Sharks MOU, just 2 species are common near the Finland coast: the Spurdog and the Porbeagle. Furthermore, shark attacks in the area are rare, with only one incident ever registered by ISAF.
Out of 18 species of shark in the Baltic Sea, two are very common on the Finland coast. However, as there is no border between oceans or sea branches, more species can be dwelling or passing near Finland’s shore. In the following section, you can learn about all 18 species of the Baltic Sea that can be eventually seen in Finland.
Finally, International Shark Attack File (ISAF) says that only one shark attack that ever occurred in Finland, but the register does not have a lot of details. You can check all about this attack in Finland in the final section of this article.
To learn all about the sharks of Finland, keep reading.
Are There Sharks In Finland? (Species Guide)
People tend to think that there are no sharks in the Baltic Sea, and therefore, in Finland. But It’s not even close of the truth. According to Shark Alliance, there are 31 species of cartilaginous fishes in the Baltic (sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras), with a total count of 18 shark species.
- Total Number of Shark Species In Finland: 18
- Number of Cartilaginous Fishes Species In The Baltic: 31
- Most Frequently Seen: Spurdog / Porbeagles
- Most Dangerous/Aggressive Species: Oceanic Whitetip Shark
- Biggest Sharks Found In The Baltic: Basking Sharks
There are at least 18 species of shark in Finland, in the waters of the Baltic Sea. And according to Shark Alliance, the most common species are the Spurdog Shark, the Small-Spotted Catshark, Blue Sharks, Porbeagle Sharks, the Blackmouth Catshark / Blackmouth Dogfish, the Bluntnose Sixgill Shark, Angel Sharks, Basking Sharks, the ferocious and dangerous Oceanic Whitetip Shark, and the beautiful Smooth Hammerhead Shark.
As Finland is located in the Baltic, all of these sharks may be found near its coast. However, according to the most recent reports provided by the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks (CMS Sharks MOU), only two are very common in the country: the Spurdog (also known as Spiny Dogfish), and the Porbeagle.
In the following table, you can find a complete guide with the 31 species of Cartilaginous fishes in the Baltic Sea, including the 18 sharks that can be found in Finland.
| Species | Scientific Name | Max Size | Aggressiveness |
| Spurdog / Spiny Dogfish | Squalus acanthias | Up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) | Not Aggressive (Venomous) |
| Porbeagle | Lamna nasus | Up to 3.6 m (12 ft) | Not Aggressive (Potentially Dangerous) |
| Thresher Shark | Alopias vulpinus | Up to 7.6m (25 ft) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Starry or Thorny Skate | Amblyraja radiata | Up to 1 m (3.4 ft) | Not Aggressive (Non-Poisonous) |
| Oceanic Whitetip Shark | Carcharhinus longimanus | Up to 4 m (13 ft) | Very Aggressive (Dangerous) |
| Basking shark | Cetorhinus maximus | Up to 12 m (40 ft) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Ratfish or Ghost Shark | Chimaera monstrosa | Up to 1.2 m (49 in) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Common stingray | Dasyastis pastinaca | Up to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) | Not Aggressive (Poisonous | Non-Fatal) |
| Common skate, blue ray | Dipturus batis | Up to 2.8 m (9.2 ft) | Not Aggressive (Harmless | Non-Poisonous) |
| Sailray | Dipturus linteus | Up to 1.1 m (3.6 ft) | Not Aggressive (Harmless | Non-Poisonous) |
| Longnose skate | Dipturus oxyrinchus | Up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) | Not Aggressive (Harmless | Non-Poisonous) |
| Bramble shark | Echinorhinus brucus | Up to 3.1 m (10 ft) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Velvet belly shark | Etmopterus spinax | Up to 45 cm (18 in) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Tope, School shark | Galeorhinus galeus | Up to 1.9 m (6.3 ft) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Blackmouth dogfish | Galeus melastomus | Up to 0.75 cm (29 in) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Bluntnose sixgill shark | Hexanchus griseus | Up to 4.82 m (16 ft) | Not Aggressive (Poisonous to eat. Ref: link) |
| Sandy ray | Leucoraja circularis | Up to 1.2 m (49 in) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Shagreen ray | Leucoraja fullonica | Up to 1.2 m (49 in) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Starry smoothhound | Mustelus asterias | Up to 1.8 m (5.9 ft) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Angular rough shark | Oxynotus centrina | Up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Blue shark | Prionace glauca | Up to 4 m (13 ft) | Not Aggressive (Curious, Approach Humans) |
| Thornback ray | Raja clavata | Up to 1 m (3.4 ft) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Spotted ray | Raja montagui | Up to 80 cm (31 in) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Round ray | Rajella fyllae | Up to 55 cm (21 in) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Small-Spotted Catshark | Scyliorhinus canicula | Up to 1 m (3.4 ft) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Nursehound | Scyliorhinus stellaris | Up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) | Not Aggressive (Harmless) |
| Greenland shark | Somniosus microcephalus | Up to 4.27 m (14 ft) | Not Aggressive (Poisonous to eat. Ref: link) |
| Smooth Hammerhead | Sphyrna zygaena | Up to 5 m (16 ft) | Aggressive (Potentially Dangerous) |
| Common angel shark | Squatina squatina | Up to 1.8 m (5.9 ft) | Not Aggressive (Venomous) |
| Marbled electric ray | Torpedo marmorata | Up to 1 m (3.4 ft) | Not Aggressive (Dangerous | Electric Shock) |
| Electric ray | Torpedo nobiliana | Up to 1.8 m (5.9 ft) | Not Aggressive (Dangerous | Electric Shock) |
Related Article: Are There Sharks In Denmark? (New Research)
Sharks In Finland: Reported Attacks
International Shark Attack File (ISAF) is one of the most important institues that keeps track of shark incidents all over the world, and it only has one register o shark attack in Finland, but this record is vague, with no precise information about date or location. However, it’s possible to see that the attack was unprovoked and non-fatal.
Even without further details, there is no reason to discredit this report. ISAF is one of the most important institutes on sharks incidents, and looking at their shark attacks interactive map, it’s possible to see this incident reported in Finland. You can check this information here.
| Date | Area | Location | Activity | Incident Type | Fatal? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | Finland | – | – | Unprovoked | No |
Related Article: Are There Sharks In The English Channel? (Full Guide)
Related Questions
Do sharks live in Finland? There are about 18 species of sharks living in Finland. The most common sharks on this Nordic coast are the Spurdog (also known as Spiny Dogfish) and the Porbeagle, close relative to the feared Great White Shark. However, shark attacks are almost non-existent in Finland.
Sources
- Global Shark Attack File (GSAF): https://www.sharkattackfile.net/
- Florida Museum: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/
- International Shark Attack File (ISAF): https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/
- Sharks In The Baltic (Shark Alliance): https://www.sharkadvocates.org/sharks_in_the_baltic.pdf
- Fishbase: https://www.fishbase.us/
- CMS Sharks MOU (Finland): https://www.cms.int/sharks/en/country/finland
