Watching LIVE shark cams provide an incredible combination!
First, you get the awesome experience of observing sharks up close. And second, you never have to leave the comfort and safety of your home!
The 4 cameras below are located at shark exhibits across the USA.
Well, except for Shark Cam #4. This webcam is uniquely located in the ocean, which allows you to look for WILD sharks.
Shark Cam #1: Aquarium of the Pacific
This live cam watches “Shark Lagoon,” which is an exhibit at the Aquarium of the Pacific in California. The tank holds about 90,000 gallons of water. Believe it or not, it’s only the third-largest exhibit at the aquarium!
Many different ocean species, including various sharks, can be seen swimming here.
Look for the following species:
- Zebra Shark:
- This species will be the one you may see resting on the ground, and it has a long tail that points upwards.
- Sand Tiger Shark:
- Look for the fearsome, slow-moving shark that has lots of teeth sticking out!
- Blacktip Reef Shark:
- These sharks have a noticeable black tip on most of their fins (dorsal, pectoral, caudal, and pelvic).
- Whitetip Reef Shark:
- They appear similar to the Blacktip Shark, but they have white tips on the edges of their fins instead of black.
- Reticulated Whiptail Ray:
- An incredibly large ray that weighs almost 300 pounds!
- Mangrove Ray:
- Recognizable by their white tail.
- Olive Ridley Sea Turtle:
- The only sea turtle you will see in this exhibit. He has a brother than can be observed in a different display at the aquarium. Unfortunately, the brothers don’t get along and have to be kept in separate tanks.
You can tune in every day at 2:00 pm PT to watch the sharks get fed!
Shark Cam #2: Monterey Bay Aquarium
Located in California, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is considered one of the best in the world!
This exhibit is modeled after the habitat off the California coast of Monterey Bay. All of the species in this tank are native to these waters. The hourglass-shaped aquarium is over 90 feet long, and highlights five unique habitats together!
This webcam features several species of shark, such as Sevengill Sharks, Leopard Sharks, and Spiny Dogfish. Also, look for Pacific Angel Sharks resting on the ground or floating along peacefully.
Leopard Shark
In addition, many other species live in harmony with the sharks. You can observe big skates, bat rays, sturgeon, rockfish, giant sea bass, and even flatfish resting on the sandy floor.
*This live shark cam can only be viewed during the times when the Monterey Bay Aquarium is open. If the camera appears black, then rewind the video to earlier in the day, and you should be able to watch sharks!*
Shark Cam #3: National Aquarium
The National Aquarium in Baltimore has an entertaining live shark cam that features many different species living together.
There are THREE species of shark you can watch.
- Blacktip Reef Shark: If you watch for more than a few seconds, you should see these sharks darting around the exhibit. Look for the distinguishable black tips on their fins. One interesting fact is that this species has a certain camaraderie amongst themselves, and the school in the tank have been together for many years.
- Wobbegong Shark: During the day, this species prefers to hide under reef ledges. Wobbegongs prefer to hunt at night, where it lies on the reef waiting for its prey. Look for a fish that has a flat, wide-body, and displays many dark lines and splotches. This coloring helps it blend in on the ocean floor.
- Zebra Shark: Look for them resting on the bottom, similar to a Nurse Shark. Or if you see one swimming, you can identify them by their tail, which is just as long as their body. You would think that by their name, a Zebra Shark would have stripes. Interestingly, they only have stripes as a juvenile. As they grow, these sharks lose their lines and instead have dark spots!
In addition to sharks, many other species can also be viewed. These animals include whiptail rays, triggerfish, angelfish, puffers, unicornfish, wrasse, and a large sea turtle that is missing a front flipper.
*Please note that the embedded video above is a highlight video. If you want to watch this shark cam live, please head to the National Aquarium’s website, as their stream can’t be placed on external sites.*
Shark Cam #4: Cape Fear, North Carolina
As far as I know, this is the only camera that looks for WILD sharks!
Yes, that’s right, this underwater cam is located 34 miles off the coast of Cape Fear, North Carolina. It is placed beneath a Coast Guard decommissioned light station, called the Frying Pan Tower, which was built in the 1960s to warn ships of shallow waters that exist nearby.
Thanks to GPS technology, the tower is not used anymore. But, it has become a habitat that is used by many sharks in addition to fish and invertebrates.
The most common shark species seen on the cam is the scary looking Sand Tiger Shark. But you might also be lucky enough to watch Nurse Sharks, Sandbar Sharks, and stingrays.
Due to the unpredictable nature of having a camera in the ocean, you may not always be able to watch this cam live. But don’t worry, Explore.org always has a highlight video playing.
Can you help me add to this list?
I’m sure there are many incredible live shark cameras that I have not included.
If there are any you can find that are worth sharing, please paste a link below in the comments section.
I am looking for streams that feature a high-quality camera, and the video doesn’t buffer often.
