Yes, there were most likely sharks present when the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic ocean on April 15, 1912. The sinking of the Titanic occurred in an area frequented by several species of sharks. Given their normal habitat ranges and behavior, it is very plausible that sharks were attracted to the site of the sinking by the disturbance in the water and sounds of people thrashing about, as well as the potential of a food source from dead bodies and debris.
Shark Species in the North Atlantic
The North Atlantic ocean is home to over 30 species of sharks, several of which have habitat ranges that overlap with the location where the Titanic sank. Some shark species known to inhabit the waters of the North Atlantic include:
Shortfin Mako Shark
The shortfin mako is an aggressive, fast swimming shark found in temperate and tropical waters throughout the world. They inhabit offshore waters and can migrate long distances. The Titanic sank at latitude 41.73° N, well within the normal habitat range of shortfin makos in the North Atlantic.
Blue Shark
Blue sharks are abundant oceanic sharks found worldwide in tropical and temperate seas. In the North Atlantic, they range as far north as Newfoundland and Norway. The Titanic sank right in the middle of their normal habitat range.
Thresher Shark
The long-tailed thresher shark inhabits tropical and temperate waters throughout the world. In the North Atlantic, they range as far north as Newfoundland and Great Britain. They would have been present in the waters where the Titanic went down.
Porbeagle Shark
The porbeagle is a cold temperate species found in the North Atlantic and Southern oceans. Their northern range extends across the North Atlantic into Canada and Greenland. The Titanic sank well within their normal habitat range.
Great White Shark
Great whites are found in cool coastal waters around the world. In the North Atlantic, they range from Newfoundland to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. The sinking of the Titanic occurred within the edges of their normal range.
Shark Behavior
Sharks are highly attuned to their environment and signals such as sounds of struggling prey and blood in the water. They have sensitive hearing and can detect low frequency sounds and vibrations from great distances. When the Titanic struck the iceberg and began sinking, it would have created a great disturbance in the water. The sound of the collision echoed out for miles and the gradually tilting ship scraped against the iceberg, all of which would have attracted sharks in the vicinity.
As passengers rushed to evacuate the sinking ship, many jumped overboard into the freezing water. The thrashing and swimming of hundreds of people in the water would have created noise, vibrations, and turbulence that sharks would quickly hone in on to investigate the commotion. This would summon sharks towards the site from miles around.
Many people did not survive long in the frigid water. As people began dying, their bodies would have released blood and bodily fluids into the water. Sharks have an exceptional sense of smell and can detect tiny amounts of blood from great distances. Any blood from injured and dead victims would have drawn sharks to the scene.
The sharks likely became more frenzied and aggressive as more struggling swimmers and floating bodies created a sensory overload. The sharks would have been whipped into a feeding frenzy from all the audio, vibratory, visual, and chemical signals stimulated by the sinking ship.
Historical Accounts of Sharks
Though sharks were not a primary threat to most victims of the sinking who perished from hypothermia, there were nonetheless several survivors who reported encounters with sharks.
Some key historical eyewitness accounts include:
Jack Thayer
First class passenger Jack Thayer, 17 years old at the time, survived by jumping off the ship and reported: “We saw no sharks around, but no doubt there were a few around.”
Archibald Gracie
First class passenger Archibald Gracie survived the sinking and wrote a detailed account in his book “The Truth About the Titanic”. In it, he tells of observers on lifeboat No. 4 who pulled in several victims from the water:
“…One very touching incident witnessed by those in lifeboat No. 4 lingers in my memory. As this small boat began to move away from the ship into the open sea, with 38 persons aboard a few male passengers were seen on A deck aft, just about amidships, looking onto the sea. They had refused places in the boats and preferred, if die they must, to die uncovered on the deck of the ship that carried their loved ones. Among them was a tall, blond, fine-featured Swede named Nils Nilsson. Presently a lifeboat swarming with people appeared rising on the crest of a wave. This boat Soon reached the Titanic’s side and Mr. Nilsson was caught by the bow and ordered into the boat. He shook his head sadly and stepped back. The seamen and women struggled frantically to bring him into the boat, but others, fearful lest they be swamped, cut the ropes and shoved away. Mr. Nilsson saw the keel of the lifeboat separating from the ship’s side. In a few minutes she was a hundred yards away. Mr. Nilsson stood without moving and held up his arms toward heaven. Just then the war cries of hundreds of horrified souls rang out over the sea. And the giant hulk of the Titanic, with nearly 1,500 still aboard, many of whom were Mr. Nilsson’s friends, shot into the ocean. Mr. Nilsson stepped up onto the rail, adjusted his life preserver, removed his coat, and dove headfirst into the icy sea. Several startled persons in the lifeboat, as well as those on the roof of the officers’ quarters on the Titanic, saw him reappear on the surface swimming vigorously. Just then three or four sharks appeared around the lifeboat. Their ugly triangular fins revolved rapidly and the surface of the sea boiled as they darted back and forth in erratic courses, their upturned snouts eagerly questing to and fro. Two or three of them made for the swimming Swede, their fins cutting rapidly through the water. The horrified survivors in the lifeboat looked on helplessly. So terribly was one affected by the sight that his shriek pierced the night. There were women aboard. Mr. Nilsson was seized by the leg and his head thrown back. Then a swirl of blood bubbled up to the surface. His body was dragged under, and the water became calm.”
Harold Bride
Harold Bride, the junior wireless operator on the Titanic who survived, reported to the New York Times that he had seen sharks while waiting for rescue in an overturned lifeboat:
“I saw some sharks, and expected to be eaten by them at any time.”
Though such encounters were relatively rare among survivors, these accounts make clear sharks were indeed present and interacting with victims. The cold water temperature of approximately 28 °F may have made the sharks more lethargic and less aggressive than normal. Nonetheless, there is no doubt sharks were attracted to the commotion and ignores of the sinking. The depth of 12,500 feet where the Titanic rests on the sea floor is too deep for sharks. But without question, sharks congregated as the great ship went down.
Modern Forensic Analysis
Modern forensic analysis of victims’ bodies recovered after the sinking also provides tantalizing clues of deadly encounters with sharks. For instance, first class passenger Thomson Beattie, whose body was found floating 12 days after the sinking, showed evidence of possible shark predation:
“One of the most gruesome hints that sharks may have attacked some of the dead came when the Mackay-Bennett was sent out to search for bodies. One of the first bodies they picked up was floating face down, so they pulled it on board by hooking the clothing on its back with boat hooks. When they turned the body over, they were shocked to find that much of the front was gnawed away. Men on the ship recognized the body as that of a first-class passenger, Thomson Beattie. A great wound on his forehead had been inflicted by a blow, probably from a falling iron beam or steam-pipe; but the rest of the horrible mutilations looked like the work of sharks. Mr. Beattie was identified by his clothing and papers.”
Further analysis would be required to conclusively attribute the post-mortem trauma to shark attacks. But it is highly plausible that sharks scavenged many of the dead, thus leaving telltale bite marks on the corpses.
Conclusion
In summary, there is compelling evidence and high probability that sharks were indeed present and interacting with victims during the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. The North Atlantic habitat of several shark species overlaps precisely with the location of the Titanic’s demise.
Sharks are strongly attracted to the sensory stimuli created by large disturbances in the water such as major shipwrecks and the thrashing of hundreds of people plunged into the sea. Historical eyewitness accounts confirm sharks were seen by survivors at the time, with a few chilling reports of direct attacks on swimmers. Lastly, modern forensic examinations provide clues that sharks scavenged the dead floating in the water in the days following the tragedy.
So while hypothermia took most lives that fateful night, sharks haunt the history of the Titanic, circling among the wreckage to feast on the misfortune. Their shadowy presence compounds the horror of the legendary disaster.