Built for the open Pacific
Makos belong to the same family as the great white and share its trick: a heat-exchange system that keeps the swimming muscles warm, which is what lets a shark hit 45 mph. They hunt tuna, bonito and swordfish in the open ocean and are famous among anglers for leaping clear of the water.
Off Southern California, juvenile makos feed in the blue water beyond the islands from late spring through fall. They are seen from boats, never from the beach.
Why they are endangered
Makos mature late, around 18 for females, and have few pups, so they cannot replace the numbers taken on longlines set for tuna and swordfish. The IUCN moved the species to Endangered in 2019 and the same year CITES restricted international trade in mako fins and meat.
A longer guide to this species, with what it means for Southern California, is on My Clean Ocean →