Question 1

True or false: Greenland sharks are often found with squid beaks and fish bones in their stomachs from deep prey.

Accepted Answer

True. As opportunistic scavengers and predators, they eat a variety of deep-sea animals, including squid, fish, and even seals.

Question 2

True or false: Greenland sharks are found primarily in warm tropical waters near the equator.

Accepted Answer

False. They inhabit cold, deep Arctic and North Atlantic waters, often below 0°C, not warm tropical regions.

Question 3

True or false: Greenland sharks are the fastest swimming sharks in the ocean, capable of bursts up to 40 mph.

Accepted Answer

False. They are among the slowest sharks, cruising at less than 1 mph, with a maximum around 1.5 mph—far from fast.

Question 4

True or false: Greenland sharks can live for over 400 years, making them the longest-lived vertebrates.

Accepted Answer

True. Radiocarbon dating of their eye lenses suggests they can reach 400–500 years, with one estimated at 392 years old.

Question 5

True or false: Greenland sharks are known to attack and kill polar bears on a regular basis.

Accepted Answer

False. No verified attacks on live polar bears exist; they are slow scavengers, though polar bear remains have been found in their stomachs from scavenging.

Question 6

True or false: Greenland sharks migrate thousands of miles every year to breed in shallow coastal lagoons.

Accepted Answer

False. They are not known to migrate long distances for breeding; their movements are slow and localized, and breeding habits remain largely mysterious.

Question 7

True or false: Greenland sharks have toxic flesh that causes a drunken-like stupor if eaten fresh.

Accepted Answer

True. Their flesh contains high levels of trimethylamine oxide, which breaks down into a neurotoxin. Traditional preparation involves fermenting or drying.

Question 8

True or false: Greenland sharks are nearly blind due to a parasite that attaches to their eyes.

Accepted Answer

True. A copepod parasite (Ommatokoita elongata) often hangs from their corneas, causing partial blindness, but they rely on smell and hearing.

Greenland Shark Trivia Questions