# Where Do Shortfin Mako Sharks Live?

> Where shortfin mako sharks live: Open temperate and tropical oceans, native range cues, and human overlap. Status Endangered.

- **Species:** Shortfin Mako Shark (*Isurus oxyrinchus*)
- **Conservation status:** Endangered
- **Diet:** Carnivore
- **Habitat:** Open temperate and tropical oceans
- **Lifespan:** Around 30 years
- **Top speed:** Up to 74 km/h (46 mph)
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/shortfin-mako-shark/where-do-shortfin-mako-shark-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/shortfin-mako-shark/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The shortfin mako is the fastest shark in the world, reaching short bursts of about 74 km/h (46 mph). A warm-bodied, open-ocean predator found in temperate and tropical seas worldwide, it has a sleek, torpedo-shaped body built for speed. Shortfin makos are now listed as Endangered.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a sighting hotline. This page is native range and habitat.

## Built for speed

The shortfin mako has a slender, torpedo-shaped body, a pointed snout, and a crescent-shaped tail that together make it the fastest shark in the sea. Like the great white, it is partially warm-blooded, keeping its muscles warmer than the surrounding water so it can swim in powerful, sustained bursts.

## Help protect the Shortfin Mako Shark

Ocean wildlife is under mounting pressure from overfishing, bycatch and plastic pollution.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/shortfin-mako-shark/where-do-shortfin-mako-shark-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.