NC Shark Savers

06/01/2026

We, NC Shark Savers, would like to say Happy Pride Month to one and all! We love not just our sharks, but also ALL of our people! Our own shivers are bigger and stronger with all of us united!



Photo Credit: Alex Fictus

05/17/2026

NEW SPONSOR
Welcome to a truly charming hair and beauty studio located in the vibrant and picturesque Southport, NC, where the exceptionally talented ladies of this full-service salon have become cherished friends and invaluable partners to our organization. At Southport Color Me Crazy, you can fully indulge in a wide variety of exquisite services, including rejuvenating facials, elegant bridal cuts, precise waxing, transformative chemical treatments, stylish haircuts, professional styling, and stunning coloring options. You’ll leave our studio feeling like the beautiful queen of the shores or the dashing king of the depths, radiating confidence and allure.

Here at Southport Color Me Crazy, exceptional customer service is a top priority that we uphold with pride. From the moment you relax in their comfortable and welcoming waiting area or take a seat in the stylish and well-equipped styling chair, you’ll instantly feel right at home and at ease. Business owner and manager Briana Sarnes-Dixon, along with her dedicated and friendly team of professionals, is wholeheartedly committed to ensuring that you never leave feeling anything less than thrilled and satisfied with your fabulous new look. Plus, you can enjoy these high-quality, luxurious services without worrying too much about stretching your budget or breaking the bank.

(910) 457-0502

4578 Long Beach Rd, Southport, NC 28461

05/01/2026

Sign our petition to make shark culling and harvesting illegal in North Carolina

Make shark harvesting illegal in North Carolina

04/22/2026

As we navigate the expansive and beautiful coastal regions of our state, ensuring optimal care for our trusty vehicle, Wanda the Great White Honda, is absolutely essential for a smooth journey. NC Shark Savers proudly places its unwavering trust in the reliable services of Gray's Traveling Auto & Repair LLC, conveniently located in Beulaville, NC. If your vehicle is unfortunately in need of repairs and temporarily out of commission, you can confidently rely on Gray's Traveling Auto & Repair LLC to provide exceptional service at fair and reasonable prices, all while proudly maintaining a solid reputation for honesty, integrity, and customer satisfaction.

04/15/2026

Males of the White-Saddled Catshark measure about 1.3 feet in length, while females are slightly larger at 1.5 feet. This species is distributed from North Carolina through the Caribbean and down to South America, typically residing on or near the ocean floor of the upper continental slope. As small predators, they feed on a variety of small bony fishes and invertebrates, and they have a slow reproductive rate, producing only a pair of eggs at a time. As of June 21, 2019, there are no known threats to their population, and White-Saddled Catshark populations are categorized as of least concern and stable. However, due to the limited research on this species, further studies are essential—particularly in the areas of diet, reproduction, and conservation.

04/15/2026

Whale sharks hold the title of the largest modern-day sharks and the largest living fish in the world. At birth, they measure between 21.7 and 25.2 inches long and can grow to an impressive maturity size of 29.5 feet. The largest recorded whale shark reached a staggering 65 feet and can live for about 60 years. These magnificent creatures inhabit tropical and warm temperate waters globally, with the exception of the Mediterranean Sea. Their populations can be found ranging from New York through the Caribbean to Central Brazil. Whale sharks thrive in temperatures between 69.8 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit and can be found at depths of up to 6,325.5 feet. Primarily filter feeders, their diet consists of tunas, squids, small crustaceans, schooling fish, macroalgae, and, importantly, phytoplankton. After a gestation period of approximately 16 months, a female whale shark can give birth to as many as 300 pups in a single summer litter. Remarkably, despite their size, whale sharks pose no threat to humans; there have been no recorded instances of them biting or injuring anyone, earning them a reputation as gentle giants. Unfortunately, whale sharks are currently endangered, with their populations declining since March 18, 2016. This decline is attributed to various threats, including shipping lanes, finning, climate change, tourism, oil and gas drilling, overfishing, and bycatch.

04/15/2026

Tiger Sharks are one of the most recognized species in North Carolina and around the globe. Born at a length of 1 to 1.5 feet, they already possess their trademark spots and markings. Males typically mature between 7 and 9 feet, while females reach an average of 8 to 10 feet. On average, these formidable sharks measure between 10 and 14 feet in length and weigh between 850 and 1,400 pounds. However, the largest recorded Tiger Shark was an astonishing 18 feet long and weighed 2,000 pounds.

These sharks thrive in the murky coastal waters stretching from Cape Cod to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. You can often find them in river estuaries, harbors, inlets, lagoons, and coral atolls of oceanic islands. While they often migrate to tropical waters during the winter months, they can also be spotted in temperate regions as temperatures rise in summer.

Often dubbed the "garbage can of the sea," Tiger Sharks are known for their indiscriminate diets—consuming an array of prey that includes carrion, sea turtles, rays, smaller sharks, bony fishes, squids, seabirds, dolphins, and crustaceans. After mating between March and May, a female Tiger Shark has a gestation period ranging from 13 to 16 months, giving birth to impressive litters of 10 to 82 pups between April and June.

Notorious for their involvement in shark bites, Tiger Sharks are classified among the "big three" with a total of 142 recorded bites, of which 39 were fatal. Despite being listed as near threatened and facing a population decline since August 10, 2018—largely due to bycatch and overfishing—North Carolina fisheries permit year-round hunting of this species, allowing fishermen to harvest up to 55 specimens per vessel.

04/15/2026

Thresher Sharks, a species gaining popularity among the public, are born measuring between 3.7 to 5 feet in length and weighing around 11 to 13 pounds. Males typically reach maturity at around 10.5 feet, while females mature more slowly and grow larger, ranging from 8.5 to 14.8 feet long. The largest recorded specimen has been estimated to reach an impressive 25 feet and weigh over 750 pounds. Notably, the Thresher Shark's elongated whiplike tail constitutes about half of its body length; it uses this tail to stun prey, allowing the shark to feed at its leisure.

This species inhabits both coastal and oceanic waters along the entire Atlantic coastline of the United States. Thresher Sharks thrive in continental shelf environments, flourishing in coastal bays and nearshore waters, often diving to depths of up to 1,800 feet. As skilled hunters and remarkable jumpers, their diet primarily consists of herrings, menhadens, Atlantic sauries, sand lances, mackerels, butterfishes, bluefishes, bonitos, squids, and even sea birds.

After a gestation period of approximately nine months, a Thresher Shark typically gives birth to 2 to 4 pups per litter. While they may cause minor injuries with their tails, there have been no reported bites on humans attributed to this species. However, as of November 6, 2018, Thresher Sharks have been classified as vulnerable due to declining populations as a result of overfishing and bycatch. Currently, fisheries in North Carolina permit year-round hunting and harvesting of this species, with no size or harvest restrictions in place.

04/15/2026

The Spiny Dogfish are born measuring between 8 to 13 inches in length. Males typically reach maturity at 2 feet long and 6 years of age, while females mature at 2.5 feet long, 12 years old, and weigh between 7.1 and 9.9 pounds. The largest recorded male specimen was 3.25 feet long, and the biggest female reached 4 feet and weighed 21.6 pounds.

This species is native to both inshore and offshore waters along the continental shelves from Greenland to Argentina, thriving at depths of up to 2,950 feet. Spiny Dogfish can also inhabit brackish waters, but they are never found in freshwater. They are known to spend their winters in the coastal waters of North Carolina for mating and breeding. They are also often found traveling in large, migratory shivers.

Their diet is diverse, consisting of herrings, mackerels, menhadens, capelins, sand lances, wolf fishes, flatfishes, squids, jellyfishes, shrimps, crabs, octopuses, and sea cucumbers. After a gestation period of 17 to 19 months, a female can give birth to anywhere from 1 to 15 pups per litter, with an average of 6 to 7 pups.

Despite no recorded bites on humans, the Spiny Dogfish is classified as vulnerable and its population has been declining since November 21, 2019, primarily due to overfishing and bycatch. Currently, North Carolina permits the harvesting of this species without any restrictions year-round.

It is also important to highlight that Spiny Dogfish pups are often cruelly marketed in many beachwear stores, especially in the Carolinas, preserved in a jar containing 30% isopropyl alcohol and 70% water.

04/15/2026

Commonly found in the waters of North Carolina, Spinner Sharks are born measuring between 24 and 30 inches. Males typically mature at around 4 feet, while females reach sexual maturity at about 5 feet, with the average size being 6.4 feet. These sharks have a lifespan of 11 to 20 years, and the largest recorded Spinner Shark reached an impressive length of 9.1 feet.

Spinner Sharks inhabit subtropical, tropical, and temperate regions, living in both inshore and offshore waters across continental and insular shelves, extending from Cape Cod to Brazil at depths ranging from 0 to 328 feet. They migrate inshore during the spring and summer months to feed and reproduce.

With their extensive range, Spinner Sharks have a diverse diet, preying on various species including ladyfishes, sardines, herrings, anchovies, sea catfishes, lizardfishes, mullets, bluefishes, tunas, bonitos, croakers, jacks, mojarras, grunts, tongue-soles, squids, octopuses, cuttlefishes, rays, other sharks, and carrion.

After a gestation period of 11 to 15 months, Spinner Sharks give birth during the summer in inshore waters, typically delivering litters of 3 to 20 pups, although litters of 7 to 11 are more common. While noted for being involved in 16 reported shark bites, Spinner Sharks have not caused any human fatalities.

As of February 11, 2020, Spinner Sharks are classified as vulnerable due to the threats posed by bycatch and overfishing. In North Carolina, regulations allow fishermen to harvest more than 55 individuals of this species on each vessel per trip throughout the year with no minimum size limit.