Sharks can live from a few decades to several centuries, depending on the species, with the Greenland shark often cited as the longest-lived vertebrate. Key points
- Most sharks in the wild have lifespans ranging roughly from 20 to 30 years, though many live longer under favorable conditions.
- The Greenland shark stands out for extreme longevity, with estimates commonly reported as 250–400+ years; some studies suggest ages approaching 500 years for the oldest individuals. Sexual maturity in Greenland sharks is thought to occur late, around 100 years or more, which underscores their unusual life history.
- Other long-lived sharks include whale sharks (commonly cited around 70–100 years) and certain cold-water species that can approach a century or more, though exact ages are highly species-specific and often hard to confirm.
Because longevity varies dramatically by species and method (growth rings vs radiocarbon dating vs size-based estimates), it’s best to think of the answer as: a typical shark lifespan is a few decades for many species, with exceptional records pushing some species well into the hundreds of years.
