Did you know that a huge carnivorous shark can be found in British waters?
Not only that, but it’s 400 years old.
Greenland sharks are the second-largest species of carnivorous shark after the great white.
Also known as the “sleeper sharks,” they are one of the longest-living vertebrate species known, with a lifespan pushing centuries.
While they can be found in deep waters around the UK, humans rarely encounter them, and we know little about their life cycle.
A 392-year-old Greenland Shark that was located in the Arctic Ocean. He’s been wandering the ocean since 1627. pic.twitter.com/JiXrgEeIwl
— Interesting things (@awkwardgoogle) March 8, 2026
How long does a Greenland shark live?
In 2016, the University of Copenhagen found a way to accurately calculate the lifespan of a Greenland shark.
Sometimes referred to as the world’s most mysterious shark, footage of Greenland sharks swimming in their natural environment was not captured until 2003.
The researchers used a radiocarbon dating technique to examine proteins which were found in the lens of the eyes of twenty-eight Greenland sharks and calculated that the largest shark was between 272 and 512 years old, with its most likely age being 390.
This makes Greenland sharks easily the longest-living vertebrates in the world and means they may have to be around 156 years old before they are capable of reproducing.
Should we worry about Greenland sharks?
No, not really.
They live in deep, very cold Arctic and North Atlantic waters, where humans rarely swim, and they move slowly, so encounters are extremely rare.
There are no confirmed, modern cases of Greenland sharks attacking humans.
Greenland shark washes up on UK beach
A 100-year-old, 13-foot-long female was found stranded in 2022 near Cornwall’s Newlyn Harbour.
She was released back into the sea but was later found dead, sparking an autopsy by the Cornwall Marine Pathology Team.
Rob Deaville, project lead, told the BBC: “This unfortunate and extraordinary stranding has allowed us to get an insight into the life and death of a species we know little about.
“Discovering that this shark had meningitis is likely a world first, but the significance of this in terms of any wider stressors is unknown.
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A Greenland shark in Arctic waters may live over 400 years meaning some alive today could have been born before Isaac Newton
pic.twitter.com/QQbRybDp5K
— Science girl (@sciencegirl) February 23, 2026
“Ultimately, like most marine life, deep-sea species such as Greenland sharks may also be impacted by human pressures on the ocean but there is not enough evidence at this stage to make any connections.
“Huge thanks are owed to the volunteers of Cornwall Wildlife Trust Marine Strandings Network and all those who spotted and brought the body to shore.
“This was an exceptional collaborative effort by all involved and was a unique opportunity to learn more about the life of this cryptic and endangered deep-water shark.”
Have you ever seen a shark in UK waters? Let us know in the comments