Enter the Shark Zone
Think you know sharks? Dive in and find out!
The ocean is home to some of the fastest, biggest, and oldest predators on Earth. Sharks have perfected life in the sea over hundreds of millions of years, using extraordinary senses and remarkable adaptations to thrive.
Journey beneath the surface with stunning BBC videos from programs like Blue Planet and Deadly 60, discover fascinating facts about sharks from around the world, and explore true stories that bring these incredible animals to life. From whale sharks and tiger sharks to hammerheads and great whites, you'll see why sharks are among the ocean's most extraordinary creatures.
Whether you're fascinated by marine life or just love a good adventure, there's something for you in this collection. Start with our interactive "Meet the Sharks" exploration and then dive deeper into each shark with a fact file reading passage + videos.
Teachers and Parents: The Shark Zone encourages curiosity while building science knowledge through interactive exploration. Kids ages 8 and up can investigate each shark at their own pace, making connections between engaging BBC videos and bite-sized facts that reinforce key concepts about adaptations, habitats, food webs, and biodiversity. It's an easy way to spark meaningful conversations about marine life, ocean conservation, and why sharks are essential to healthy ecosystems.
Explore the Sharks Interactive
Click around on the image to learn about each type of shark.
Meet the Sharks is an interactive adventure that lets you explore some of the ocean's most incredible shark species: the great white, hammerhead, whale, blacktip, and tiger shark.
Click on each illustrated shark to watch an exciting educational video from state-of-the-art BBC productions like Blue Planet and Deadly 60. Then click on each shark's name to uncover a fun fact about what makes that species unique — from extraordinary senses to surprising behaviors to mind-blowing adaptations.
Whether you're meeting these amazing fish (that's right — sharks are fish!) for the first time or already know a thing or two about sharks, this interactive experience is a fun way to discover how each species has adapted to life in the ocean. Dive in, explore, and see which shark becomes your favorite!
Meet the Whale Shark
What fish can grow longer than a school bus but feeds on tiny plankton? The whale shark is the largest fish on Earth — and one of its gentlest.
From tropical coastlines to the open ocean, these enormous fish spend their lives searching for tiny creatures drifting through the water. Discover how whale sharks use filter feeding instead of hunting, dive thousands of feet beneath the surface, and migrate incredible distances across the globe. You'll also learn why these gentle giants are endangered and how scientists are working to protect them for generations to come.
In The Lonely Whale Shark's Journey, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains that no one knows for sure where whale sharks give birth but scientists have an idea. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
In Whale Sharks Are Both Protector and Predator, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the fascinating behavior of whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean. Whale sharks use their massive size and feeding strategies to survive in the ocean, often sharing food sources with predatory species like tuna. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
What fish can grow longer than a school bus but feeds on tiny plankton? The whale shark is the largest fish on Earth — and one of its gentlest.
From tropical coastlines to the open ocean, these enormous fish spend their lives searching for tiny creatures drifting through the water. Discover how whale sharks use filter feeding instead of hunting, dive thousands of feet beneath the surface, and migrate incredible distances across the globe. You'll also learn why these gentle giants are endangered and how scientists are working to protect them for generations to come.
In The Lonely Whale Shark's Journey, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains that no one knows for sure where whale sharks give birth but scientists have an idea. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
In Whale Sharks Are Both Protector and Predator, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the fascinating behavior of whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean. Whale sharks use their massive size and feeding strategies to survive in the ocean, often sharing food sources with predatory species like tuna. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Get to Know the Great White Shark
What predator can burst through the ocean at nearly 40 miles per hour, replace thousands of teeth during its lifetime, and help keep marine ecosystems healthy? The answer may surprise you.
Separate fact from fiction as you dive into the world of the great white shark. Discover the incredible adaptations that make it one of the ocean's most successful hunters, from powerful jaws and razor-sharp senses to stealthy hunting strategies. You'll also learn why great white sharks are essential to healthy oceans and how conservation efforts are helping protect this iconic predator.
In Great White Sharks vs. Cape Fur Seals, seals head out to sea. As they swim, they must get past great white sharks, apex predators that are waiting to throw their weight around to capture a seal snack. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
What predator can burst through the ocean at nearly 40 miles per hour, replace thousands of teeth during its lifetime, and help keep marine ecosystems healthy? The answer may surprise you.
Separate fact from fiction as you dive into the world of the great white shark. Discover the incredible adaptations that make it one of the ocean's most successful hunters, from powerful jaws and razor-sharp senses to stealthy hunting strategies. You'll also learn why great white sharks are essential to healthy oceans and how conservation efforts are helping protect this iconic predator.
In Great White Sharks vs. Cape Fur Seals, seals head out to sea. As they swim, they must get past great white sharks, apex predators that are waiting to throw their weight around to capture a seal snack. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Say Hello to the Hammerhead Shark
What shark has a head shaped like a hammer — and uses it like a high-tech hunting tool? Hammerhead sharks may look unusual, but every part of their unique design helps them survive.
Explore the fascinating world of these extraordinary sharks and discover how their wide heads help them see more, sense hidden prey, and make sharp turns while hunting. Learn why some hammerheads gather in schools of hundreds, travel thousands of miles across the ocean, and face growing conservation challenges that make protecting them more important than ever.
In The Great Hammerhead Shark, naturalist Steve Backshall uses bait to entice great hammerhead sharks to swim near him. This video is excerpted from BBC's Deadly 60, an award-winning nature and adventure show for kids in which narrator Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals.
What shark has a head shaped like a hammer — and uses it like a high-tech hunting tool? Hammerhead sharks may look unusual, but every part of their unique design helps them survive.
Explore the fascinating world of these extraordinary sharks and discover how their wide heads help them see more, sense hidden prey, and make sharp turns while hunting. Learn why some hammerheads gather in schools of hundreds, travel thousands of miles across the ocean, and face growing conservation challenges that make protecting them more important than ever.
In The Great Hammerhead Shark, naturalist Steve Backshall uses bait to entice great hammerhead sharks to swim near him. This video is excerpted from BBC's Deadly 60, an award-winning nature and adventure show for kids in which narrator Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals.
Discover the Blacktip Shark
What shark can leap completely out of the water while chasing its dinner? If you guessed the blacktip shark, you're right!
Known for their speed, agility, and spectacular spinning jumps, blacktip sharks are among the ocean's most exciting predators. Explore the warm coastal waters they call home, discover how they sometimes work together to herd schools of fish, and learn why mangroves, coral reefs, and estuaries are so important to their survival. You'll also find out how people are helping keep these remarkable coastal sharks thriving.
In Meet the Blacktip Shark, naturalist Steve Backshall and Dr. Stephen Kajiura fly over water off the coast of Florida. They see the largest blacktip shark shoal in the world. This video is excerpted from BBC's Deadly 60, an award-winning nature and adventure show for kids in which narrator Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals.
What shark can leap completely out of the water while chasing its dinner? If you guessed the blacktip shark, you're right!
Known for their speed, agility, and spectacular spinning jumps, blacktip sharks are among the ocean's most exciting predators. Explore the warm coastal waters they call home, discover how they sometimes work together to herd schools of fish, and learn why mangroves, coral reefs, and estuaries are so important to their survival. You'll also find out how people are helping keep these remarkable coastal sharks thriving.
In Meet the Blacktip Shark, naturalist Steve Backshall and Dr. Stephen Kajiura fly over water off the coast of Florida. They see the largest blacktip shark shoal in the world. This video is excerpted from BBC's Deadly 60, an award-winning nature and adventure show for kids in which narrator Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals.
Come Face to Face With the Tiger Shark
What shark gets its name from the dark stripes along its body and has one of the most varied diets in the ocean? Meet one of the sea's most adaptable predators.
Powerful, curious, and built to thrive in a wide range of habitats, tiger sharks are among the ocean's most successful hunters. Discover how they use their keen senses and powerful jaws to find food, why they migrate across thousands of miles of ocean, and what role they play in keeping marine ecosystems in balance. You'll also learn about the challenges tiger sharks face and the efforts underway to protect them.
In The Tiger Shark's Deadly Stripes, naturalist Steve Backshall goes diving at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas. He runs into a tiger shark whose camouflage and teeth make it a great predator. This video is excerpted from BBC's Deadly 60, an award-winning nature and adventure show for kids in which narrator Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals.
What shark gets its name from the dark stripes along its body and has one of the most varied diets in the ocean? Meet one of the sea's most adaptable predators.
Powerful, curious, and built to thrive in a wide range of habitats, tiger sharks are among the ocean's most successful hunters. Discover how they use their keen senses and powerful jaws to find food, why they migrate across thousands of miles of ocean, and what role they play in keeping marine ecosystems in balance. You'll also learn about the challenges tiger sharks face and the efforts underway to protect them.
In The Tiger Shark's Deadly Stripes, naturalist Steve Backshall goes diving at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas. He runs into a tiger shark whose camouflage and teeth make it a great predator. This video is excerpted from BBC's Deadly 60, an award-winning nature and adventure show for kids in which narrator Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals.
More Shark Learning
Dive into the incredible world of sharks with this thrilling BBC Learning Hub playlist! From the sleek and powerful great white to the gentle giant whale shark and the uniquely shaped hammerhead, these videos showcase the beauty and mystery of the ocean's most iconic predators. Perfect for sparking curiosity and a little shark-inspired awe in your classroom! 🦈
Sharks rule the oceans in every shape and size — from the stealthy great white slicing through the surf to the tiny glow-in-the-dark dwarf lantern shark hiding in the dark. But how much do you really know about these incredible ocean predators?
Packed with jaw-dropping facts, surprising adaptations, and a few deep-sea curveballs, this quiz dives into the remarkable world of sharks. Only the most fearless ocean fans and shark-savvy explorers will ride the wave to victory.
Dive into the incredible world of sharks with this thrilling BBC Learning Hub playlist! From the sleek and powerful great white to the gentle giant whale shark and the uniquely shaped hammerhead, these videos showcase the beauty and mystery of the ocean's most iconic predators. Perfect for sparking curiosity and a little shark-inspired awe in your classroom! 🦈
Sharks rule the oceans in every shape and size — from the stealthy great white slicing through the surf to the tiny glow-in-the-dark dwarf lantern shark hiding in the dark. But how much do you really know about these incredible ocean predators?
Packed with jaw-dropping facts, surprising adaptations, and a few deep-sea curveballs, this quiz dives into the remarkable world of sharks. Only the most fearless ocean fans and shark-savvy explorers will ride the wave to victory.