Scientists Discover Sharks Can Hear Sounds From Nearly 250 Feet Away

Scientists have discovered that wild blacktip sharks can detect underwater sounds from nearly 250 feet away and appear able to determine where those sounds are coming from.

The finding gives researchers a rare look at how sharks use sound while swimming freely in the ocean and suggests that hearing may provide them with information about their surroundings from much farther away than previously demonstrated.

Researchers Studied Sharks in the Ocean

The study was conducted by researchers from Florida Atlantic University using wild blacktip sharks along the coast of southeastern Florida.

Instead of observing sharks in a laboratory tank, the researchers tested them in shallow coastal waters where they naturally swim. A drone recorded the movements of the sharks from above while an underwater speaker produced controlled sounds.

This approach allowed scientists to observe how the animals reacted without removing them from their natural environment.

The Sharks Reacted to Sounds From 74 Meters Away

The researchers tested several ranges of low-frequency sounds between 100 and 800 hertz.

The sharks responded to all three low-frequency ranges. Some reactions occurred when the animals were as far as 74 meters, or about 243 feet, from the underwater speaker.

The sharks did not show the same response to a much higher-frequency control sound that was outside their known hearing range.

They Appeared to Know Where the Sound Came From

The researchers observed more than simply a reaction to noise.

When the sharks detected the underwater sounds, they often made rapid turns away from the speaker. This suggests that they were able to determine the direction of the sound rather than merely noticing that a sound was present.

More than 70 percent of the recorded responses occurred in what scientists call the acoustic far field, where sound behaves differently from the area immediately surrounding its source.

Why Shark Hearing Is Unusual

Many bony fish have a gas-filled swim bladder that can contribute to their ability to detect sound. Sharks do not have this structure.

Instead, sharks are believed to rely heavily on their inner ears and specialized sensory structures that detect movement and vibrations in the surrounding water.

The new observations provide researchers with evidence of how this sensory system works under natural ocean conditions.

Sound May Help Sharks Detect Distant Events

The ocean is filled with underwater sounds produced by animals, waves and other sources.

Being able to detect low-frequency sounds from a considerable distance could give sharks information about what is happening around them before they can see another animal or object.

Researchers say this may be particularly useful for predators moving through an environment where visibility can change quickly.

Why Scientists Tested the Sharks in the Wild

Experiments in tanks can make underwater hearing difficult to study because sound can bounce off walls and create complicated acoustic patterns.

By conducting the experiment in the open ocean, the researchers were able to observe how free-swimming sharks responded to sounds under more natural conditions.

The team now wants to learn more about how sharks process distant sounds and how different types of underwater noise influence their behavior.

A Better Understanding of the Shark’s Sensory World

The study suggests that sharks may be able to gather information from their environment through sound over surprisingly large distances.

For scientists, the discovery opens new questions about how sharks navigate the ocean, detect other animals and respond to changes in their acoustic environment.

What appears to be a simple underwater sound may therefore provide a shark with information from hundreds of feet away.

Sources

• ScienceDaily — “Sharks can hear nearly 250 feet away and pinpoint the source” — September 29, 2026.
• Florida Atlantic University — Research news release on blacktip shark hearing — September 2026.
• Integrative Organismal Biology — “Orientation of Blacktip Sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) to Underwater Sound” — 2026.