Are there sharks in Tamarindo Costa Rica?
YES. Costa Rican waters have many species of sharks.
Costa Rica has seen very few shark attacks. And according to official records, only one recent attack resulted in a death (by bleeding out). That was an attack that started from a bull shark attack in Guanacaste. The Bull Shark is one of the most common shark species found in Costa Rica.
9 Sharks Found in Costa Rica’s Waters (listed below with most common to rare)
Although shark attacks are rare, there are still about a dozen shark species that frequent Costa Rica’s waters. Follow along to discover 9 sharks found in Costa Rica’s waters and what they look like.
1. Tiger Sharks
Starting our list of sharks found in Costa Rica is the tiger shark. This highly aggressive and large shark is sometimes found off the coast of Costa Rican islands. Sadly, a tiger shark in November 2017 attacked and killed a tourist, Rohina Bhandari, while scuba diving off the coast of Cocos Island National Park. According to the tour guide, a 26-year-old professional, he tried to scare the tiger shark away, but it was too late for the tourist. A boater nearby distracted the shark while it was attacking the tour guide. He sustained injuries but survived.
Interestingly, tiger sharks disappeared from the coast of Costa Rica 30 years ago but began reappearing around 2008. Researchers tagged five tiger sharks off the coast of the island.
2. Bull Sharks
Another dangerous shark you can find in Costa Rica is the bull shark. Sometimes, these massive sharks are spotted on diving tours off the coast of islands like Isla del Caño and Isla del Coco. However, bull sharks are more common in the Murcielago Islands.
Bull sharks are unique because they can swim in both freshwater and saltwater. They are common in shallow warm waters. Bull sharks are stocky, aggressive, and broad. At birth, these large sharks are about 2 feet and 8 inches long. Although not the largest of the shark species, these sharks can reach up to 13 feet long. Bull sharks rarely attack, but are dangerous when they do. They have a bite force of up to 5,914 newtons.
3. Cookiecutter Sharks
4. Dusky Sharks
5. Silky Sharks
6. Whitetip Reef Sharks
7. Whale Sharks
8. Nurse Sharks
9. Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks
