Close your eyes and think of a shark. You probably hear that iconic, rhythmic cello from Jaws thumping in your head. It’s the universal sound of a predator approaching. But if you were actually underwater, floating a few feet away from a Great White or a Hammerhead, what would you hear?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
It’s a bit eerie when you think about it. Most animals we encounter have a voice. Lions roar, birds chirp, and even whales—fellow ocean giants—sing complex, haunting songs that travel for miles. But sharks are different. They are the ghosts of the ocean. For a long time, scientists basically assumed they were completely mute. While that’s mostly true, the reality of what a shark sounds like is a little more nuanced than just "total silence."
The Biological Reason Sharks Don't Have a Voice
Sharks lack the physical hardware to make noise. Unlike humans, who have a larynx, or birds with their syrinx, sharks don't have any organs dedicated to vocalization. They are cartilaginous fish. Their entire skeleton is made of the same flexible stuff in your nose and ears. They don't have lungs to push air through, which is how most terrestrial animals create sound.
They breathe by extracting oxygen from water through their gills. No air means no vocal cords, and no vocal cords means no screaming, barking, or chatting.
Honestly, it makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint. Sharks are apex predators. Their entire "brand" is built on the element of surprise. If you’re a Bull Shark prowling the murky waters of an estuary, the last thing you want to do is announce your arrival with a loud "hello." Evolution has spent millions of years refining them into silent killing machines. Their skin is even covered in tiny, tooth-like structures called dermal denticles. These don't just protect them; they reduce drag and dampen the sound of water rushing over their bodies. They swim in stealth mode.
So, Does a Shark Sound Like Anything at All?
While they don't "talk," sharks aren't always silent. It’s just that the sounds they make are accidental. Think of it like a person walking through a quiet library. They aren't talking, but you can still hear the scuff of their shoes or the rustle of their jacket.
When a large shark, like a Whale Shark or a massive Tiger Shark, makes a sudden move, it creates a "hydrodynamic wake." This is a low-frequency sound caused by the displacement of water. To a human ear, it’s almost impossible to hear. It’s more of a pressure wave than a sound. But to other fish, it’s a loud and clear warning.
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The Sound of Dinner Time
The most common "shark sound" you’d ever hear is the sound of them eating.
If you’ve ever watched footage of a feeding frenzy, it’s a chaotic mess of splashing and snapping. When a shark’s jaws lock onto prey, you might hear a dull thud or a crunching sound as teeth meet bone or shell. Researchers like Phillip Lobel, a biology professor at Boston University who specializes in fish acoustics, have noted that while the fish themselves are silent, the mechanical act of predation is noisy.
There is also the "breach." When a Great White launches itself out of the water to catch a seal—a behavior famously documented in "Air Jaws"—the sound of several tons of shark crashing back into the ocean is like a literal explosion. It’s a massive, thunderous ker-plosh that can be heard from a significant distance.
The Mystery of the New Zealand Draughtsboard Shark
Now, here is where it gets weird. There is always an exception to the rule in nature.
In New Zealand, there is a species called the Draughtsboard Shark (Cephaloscyllium isabellum). It’s a type of swell shark. When these sharks are caught or threatened, they have a bizarre defense mechanism. They swallow water or air to puff themselves up and look bigger to predators. When they release that air, they reportedly make a sound that some fishermen describe as a "bark."
Is it a vocalization? No.
It’s more like a burp. It’s the sound of air being forced out of a tight space. It’s accidental, but it’s probably the closest thing you’ll ever get to a shark "talking." Even then, it’s a far cry from the complex communication we see in dolphins or whales.
How Sharks "Hear" Without Ears
Since sharks are basically silent, you might think they live in a world of quiet. Far from it. Sharks have incredible hearing, though they don't have external ears. They have tiny pores on their heads that lead to internal ear canals.
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They are particularly sensitive to low-frequency sounds—the kind of sounds made by a struggling, injured fish. This is often called "infrapulse." To a shark, the sound of a fish in distress sounds like a dinner bell. They can detect these vibrations from hundreds of yards away.
- The Lateral Line: This is a system of sensory organs that runs along the side of a shark's body. It allows them to feel vibrations and pressure changes in the water.
- The Ampullae of Lorenzini: These are small electroreceptors. While not "hearing" in the traditional sense, they allow sharks to sense the tiny electrical impulses of a beating heart.
So, while the shark is making no sound, it is tuned into every single vibration you are making. If you’re splashing around in the water, you are essentially "shouting" to any shark in the vicinity through the pressure waves you're creating.
Misconceptions from Movies and Pop Culture
We have to blame Hollywood for a lot of the confusion here. Movies often add growls or hisses to sharks to make them seem more menacing. In the 1987 disaster Jaws: The Revenge, the shark actually lets out a roar when it lunges out of the water.
Biologically, that is impossible.
Sharks don't have the lungs to hold air or the vocal cords to vibrate it. A shark roaring is about as scientifically accurate as a golden retriever flying a plane. But because we associate predatory behavior with growling (like tigers or bears), our brains almost expect to hear something. When we don't, it’s actually scarier. The silence of a shark is its most intimidating trait.
Why Some People Think They’ve Heard a Shark
I’ve talked to divers who swear they heard a "low hum" or a "thump" when a shark passed by. Usually, this is one of three things:
- The Diver's Own Heartbeat: The adrenaline of seeing a shark can make your heart pound so hard you hear it in your own ears.
- Bubbles: The sound of a diver's regulator and bubbles can bounce off things and create weird echoes.
- Hydrodynamic Noise: As mentioned before, a very large shark moving very fast can move enough water to create a physical vibration that feels like a sound.
But a vocalization? A conscious noise? It just doesn't happen.
The Silent Future of Shark Research
Researchers are now using ultra-sensitive hydrophones to listen to shark habitats. They aren't looking for voices; they are looking for the "soundscape" of the reef. They want to know how the presence of silent predators affects the "chatter" of the rest of the ocean.
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When a shark enters an area, the reef often goes quiet. The snapping shrimp stop clicking, and the small fish stop their various grunts and chirps. The silence of the shark is a powerful signal that changes the behavior of every other living thing around it.
It turns out that what a shark sounds like isn't a "what" at all—it's a "where." You don't hear the shark; you hear the absence of everything else.
What to Do if You Want to "Hear" the Ocean Like a Shark
If you're fascinated by the silent world of these predators, there are a few ways to experience it safely and respectfully.
Invest in a Hydrophone
If you spend time on the water, you can buy portable underwater microphones. You won't hear sharks barking, but you will hear the incredible "crackling" of the ocean—shrimp, boat engines miles away, and the crunch of parrotfish eating coral.
Practice Quiet Observation
When snorkeling or diving, the best way to see a shark (and experience its silence) is to minimize your own noise. Hold your breath for a few seconds (if you're a trained free-diver) or just stay still. The less you "shout" with your movements, the more likely these shy, silent animals are to glide into view.
Support Acoustic Research
Organizations like the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and various marine biology labs use acoustic tagging to track shark movements. By supporting these groups, you help fund the technology that "listens" for sharks via pings and transmitters, which is the only way we can truly keep track of these silent wanderers.
The mystery of the shark isn't in what it says, but in how it masters the silence. Respect that silence, and you'll have a much deeper appreciation for the 400 million years of evolution swimming beneath the surface.