No confirmed photo of Spiny dogfish
Spiny dogfish
What the sources say
Venom: “When landing the fish, be careful of the venomous spines in front of the dorsal fins.” (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)
Sharks in Oregon: Species, Stingrays & Safety
Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.
On this page
This page lists 22 sharks, rays and other marine animals: 4 from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's ODFW Sharks and ODFW Wildlife Viewing: Marine Life and 18 named in other official sources. 1 is venomous by official accounts.
Not every species: this page shows the sharks, rays and other marine animals named in the official sources below. How lists are built.
Which sharks, rays and other marine animals can hurt you
Official sources single out these sharks, rays and other marine animals in Oregon, in their own words:
-
Spiny dogfish
Venomous dorsal-fin spines (ODFW). “When landing the fish, be careful of the venomous spines in front of the dorsal fins.” Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
All 22 sharks, rays and other marine animals
Venomous species first, then A to Z. Do not handle them.
No confirmed photo of Basking shark
Basking shark
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- Along Oregon's coast a number of species can be found including the salmon shark, white shark, spiny dogfish, soupfin shark, common thresher shark, basking shark, blue … Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Conservation
- Some species like the white shark and basking shark are prohibited from harvest.
Blue shark
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Blue whale
Balaenoptera musculus
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- They migrate between feeding areas along the west coast of the United States and Canada and breeding and calving grounds off Mexico and Central America. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Conservation
- They are thought to be among the most endangered of the great whales.
Bottlenose dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- Oregon is the northern extent of its range on the West Coast. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
California sea lion
Zalophus californianus
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- The occurrence of the California sea lion along the Oregon coast is seasonal. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
What the sources say
Habitat: Many enter rivers to feed and some individuals migrate far up the larger rivers. (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)
No confirmed photo of Common thresher shark
Common thresher shark
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- Along Oregon's coast a number of species can be found including the salmon shark, white shark, spiny dogfish, soupfin shark, common thresher shark, basking shark, blue … Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Dall's porpoise
Phocoenoides dalli
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
What the sources say
Habitat: They prefer deep water, so they are not often seen close to land. (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)
No confirmed photo of Gray whale
Gray whale
Eschrichtius robustus
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- The most common whale off the Oregon coast is the gray whale. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Conservation
- The gray whale is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Nearshore ecoregion.
No confirmed photo of Harbor porpoise
Harbor porpoise
Phocoena phocoena
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- Found throughout the temperate coastal waters of the Northern Hemisphere, harbor porpoises are the smallest of the Northern Pacific cetaceans growing to five feet and … Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Conservation
- The harbor porpoise is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Nearshore ecoregion.
No confirmed photo of Humpback whale
Humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- Humpback whales are seen during their north and south migrations from northern waters to breeding grounds near Hawaii and also feeding offshore during the summer. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Killer whale
Orcinus orca
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- Seeing killer whales off the Oregon coast is a rare treat, but whale watchers can usually count on a pod of orca’s patrolling the coast in mid-April – just in time to … Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Conservation
- Killer whales are an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Nearshore ecoregion.
Minke whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- They feed along the coast in the same area as gray whales. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Northern elephant seal
Mirounga angustirostris
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- The Northern elephant seal is the largest pinniped carnivore that occurs along the North Pacific coast. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Conservation
- The Northern elephant seal is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Nearshore ecoregion.
Northern fur seal
Callorhinus ursinus
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- In Oregon, it occurs mostly along the northern coast. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Pacific harbor seal
Phoca vitulina
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- Pacific harbor seals have been observed ashore at 32 sites along the Oregon coast and in estuaries from the Columbia River to Hunter's Island, Curry County. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Conservation
- The Pacific harbor seal is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Nearshore ecoregion.
What the sources say
Habitat: They commonly come ashore on estuarine mud flats, sandy beaches, rocky headlands and offshore rocks and islands. (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)
Pacific white-sided dolphin
Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- These animals can be found from the tip of Baja to the Aleutians and the western Pacific from the Kuril Islands to Japan. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
What the sources say
Habitat: They prefer deep, off-shore waters, so sightings are usually limited to recreational and commercial fishers. (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)
No confirmed photo of Salmon shark
Salmon shark
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- Along Oregon's coast a number of species can be found including the salmon shark, white shark, spiny dogfish, soupfin shark, common thresher shark, basking shark, blue … Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
No confirmed photo of Soupfin shark
Soupfin shark
Galeorhinus galeus
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- Along Oregon's coast a number of species can be found including the salmon shark, white shark, spiny dogfish, soupfin shark, common thresher shark, basking shark, blue … Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Sperm whale
Physeter macrocephalus
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
What the sources say
Habitat: Sperm whales inhabit all oceans of the world, and have been observed in Oregon waters from March through November. (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)
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Steller sea lion
Eumetopias jubatus
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Where in Oregon
- In surveys along the Oregon Coast, Steller sea lions were observed ashore at 10 sites extending from the South Jetty at the mouth of the Columbia River in Clatsop … Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Conservation
- The Steller sea lion is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Nearshore ecoregion.
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White shark (great white shark)
Carcharodon carcharias
- Venom
- No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
- Size
- Born about 4 feet long; grows to about 20-21 feet and over 4,000 pounds (NOAA quick facts: up to 4,500 pounds).
- How to recognize it
- Torpedo-shaped body, conical snout, prominent keel at the base of a crescent-shaped tail
- Large first dorsal fin, usually with a pointed tip
- Broad, triangular, serrated teeth
- Conservation
- Great white sharks are protected under federal and state laws making them illegal to target or keep.
When sharks, rays and other marine animals are active in Oregon
Records of sharks, rays and other marine animals in Oregon peak in July to October. They show when people record sharks, rays and other marine animals, not how many there are (about month bars).
- Gray whale winter migration peaks between Christmas and New Year's Day Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
If you are bitten or stung
Call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away. Poison Help connects you to your local poison center, any time of day.
How to report
Invasive species sightings: Oregon Invasives Hotline, oregoninvasiveshotline.org or 1-866-INVADER; wildlife conflicts: local ODFW office (ODFW main phone 503-947-6000) Oregon Invasives Hotline
What official sources say
Are there sharks off the oregon coast?
Yes. ODFW names salmon, white, spiny dogfish, soupfin, common thresher, basking and blue sharks among those found along the coast. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
“Along Oregon's coast a number of species can be found including the salmon shark, white shark, spiny dogfish, soupfin shark, common thresher shark, basking shark, blue shark, and several others.”
About this list
The species list comes from ODFW Sharks (fishing species page) and ODFW Wildlife Viewing: Marine Life (seals and sea lions; whales, dolphins and porpoises) (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, undated web page (footer "© Copyright 2026 Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife"); as of retrieval 2026-11-03). 18 more entries come from other official sources named on each card.
Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.
Sources
- Wildlife Viewing. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Sharks Fishing. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“Along Oregon's coast a number of species can be found including the salmon shark, white shark, spiny dogfish, soupfin shark, common thresher shark, basking shark, blue shark, and several others.”
- Great white shark. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Spiny dogfish. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“When landing the fish, be careful of the venomous spines in front of the dorsal fins.”
- Blue shark. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- California sea lion (ODFW Wildlife Viewing). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Northern elephant seal (ODFW Wildlife Viewing). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Northern fur seal (ODFW Wildlife Viewing). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Pacific harbor seal (ODFW Wildlife Viewing). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Steller sea lion (ODFW Wildlife Viewing). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Blue whale (ODFW Wildlife Viewing). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Bottlenose dolphin (ODFW Wildlife Viewing). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Dall's porpoise (ODFW Wildlife Viewing). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Gray whale (ODFW Wildlife Viewing). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“The height of the winter migration off Oregon is usually between Christmas and New Year’s Day.”
- Harbor porpoise (ODFW Wildlife Viewing). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Humpback whale (ODFW Wildlife Viewing). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Killer whale (ODFW Wildlife Viewing). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Minke whale (ODFW Wildlife Viewing). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Pacific white-sided dolphin (ODFW Wildlife Viewing). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Sperm whale (ODFW Wildlife Viewing). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Oregon Invasives Hotline. Oregon Invasives Hotline (Oregon Invasive Species Council; "Maintained by Oregon State University"). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“Report potential invasive species you've found to the Online Hotline. Your submission will provide vital early detection information to the experts working to stop the next invasion before it starts!”
- GBIF.org occurrence records, human observations licensed CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, accessed November 3, 2026. The datasets behind these counts are listed on our Sources page.