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Sharks in Washington: Species, Stingrays & Safety

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page
  1. Which sharks, rays and other marine animals can hurt you
  2. All 13 sharks, rays and other marine animals
  3. When they are active
  4. If you are bitten or stung
  5. How to report
  6. What official sources say
  7. About this list
  8. Sources

This page lists 13 sharks, rays and other marine animals. Official accounts call 1 of them mildly venomous.

Which sharks, rays and other marine animals can hurt you

Official sources single out these sharks, rays and other marine animals in Washington, in their own words:

  • Pacific Spiny Dogfish

    Mildly venomous dorsal fin spines. “Pacific Spiny Dogfish are a small coastal shark with a single, prominent, mildly venomous spine at the front of each of its two dorsal fins.” Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

All 13 sharks, rays and other marine animals

From A to Z. Do not handle them.

No confirmed photo of Pacific Spiny Dogfish shark

Pacific Spiny Dogfish shark

Squalus suckleyi

Mildly venomous per Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Where in Washington
Caught in the commercial fishery off the outer Washington coast with longline, troll, trawl, and jig handline gear. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
What the sources say

Venom: “Pacific Spiny Dogfish are a small coastal shark with a single, prominent, mildly venomous spine at the front of each of its two dorsal fins.” (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

No confirmed photo of Big skate

Big skate

Beringraja binoculata

Not stated

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 Washington
Caught incidentally in the commercial fishery off the Washington coast with otter-trawls, longline, and jig handline gear. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Blue shark
Photo: Juergen Gangoly · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized

Blue shark

Prionace glauca

Not stated

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 Washington
Caught incidentally in the commercial fishery off the outer Washington coast with trawl nets, troll gear, longline, and jig handline gear. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
No confirmed photo of Bluntnose sixgill shark

Bluntnose sixgill shark

Hexanchus griseus

Not stated

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 Washington
Caught incidentally in the commercial fishery off the outer Washington coast with longline and jig handline gear. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
No confirmed photo of Broadnose sevengill shark

Broadnose sevengill shark

Notorynchus cepedianus

Not stated

Venom
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
No confirmed photo of Brown catshark

Brown catshark

Apristurus brunneus

Not stated

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 Washington
Caught incidentally in the commercial fishery off the Washington coast with otter-trawls, longline, and jig handline gear. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
No confirmed photo of California skate

California skate

Beringraja inornata

Not stated

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 Washington
Caught incidentally in the commercial fishery off the Washington coast with otter-trawls, longline, and jig handline gear. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
No confirmed photo of Common thresher shark

Common thresher shark

Alopias vulpinus

Not stated

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 Washington
Caught incidentally in the commercial fishery off the outer Washington coast with longline, troll, and jig handline gear. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
No confirmed photo of Longnose skate

Longnose skate

Raja rhina

Not stated

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 Washington
Commonly caught in the commercial fishery off the Washington coast with otter-trawls, longline, and jig handline gear. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
No confirmed photo of Salmon shark

Salmon shark

Lamna ditropis

Not stated

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 Washington
Caught incidentally in the commercial fishery off the outer Washington coast with trawl nets, troll gear, longline, and jig handline gear. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
No confirmed photo of Sandpaper skate

Sandpaper skate

Bathyraja interrupta

Not stated

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 Washington
Caught incidentally in the commercial fishery off the Washington coast with otter-trawls. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
No confirmed photo of Soupfin

Soupfin

Galeorhinus galeus

Not stated

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 Washington
Caught in the commercial fishery off the Washington coast with longline, trawl, troll, and jig handline gear. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
No confirmed photo of Spotted ratfish

Spotted ratfish

Hydrolagus colliei

Not stated

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 Washington
Caught incidentally in the commercial fishery off the Washington coast with otter-trawls and longline gear. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

When sharks, rays and other marine animals are active in Washington

Records of sharks, rays and other marine animals in Washington peak in June to September. They show when people record sharks, rays and other marine animals, not how many there are (about month bars).

465 records of sharks, rays and other marine animals in Washington by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records).

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

Dangerous wildlife: emergency 911; non-emergency 877-933-9847 or the WDFW online report. Invasive species: Washington Invasive Species Council web form or WA Invasives app; aquatic invasive species hotline 1-888-WDFW-AIS, [email protected]. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

What official sources say

Are there sharks in Washington?

Yes. WDFW has pages for sharks caught off the coast and in Puget Sound, such as the spiny dogfish and bluntnose sixgill. Fishing for sixgill, sevengill and thresher sharks is closed. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

“Also caught by recreational harvesters off the outer Washington coast and in Puget Sound.”

About this list

The species list comes from WDFW Species database, species group "Sharks, skates, and ratfish" (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, undated pages; retrieved 2026-11-03). 13 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

  1. About WDFW. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. WDFW Species database: species group Sharks, skates, and ratfish. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  3. Bluntnose sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus). Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  4. Broadnose sevengill shark (Notorynchus cepedianus). Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  5. Common thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus). Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  6. Soupfin (Galeorhinus galeus). Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  7. Salmon shark (Lamna ditropis). Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  8. Blue shark (Prionace glauca). Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  9. Brown catshark (Apristurus brunneus). Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  10. Pacific Spiny Dogfish shark (Squalus suckleyi). Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (2)
    “Pacific Spiny Dogfish are a small coastal shark with a single, prominent, mildly venomous spine at the front of each of its two dorsal fins.”
    “Also caught by recreational harvesters off the outer Washington coast and in Puget Sound.”
  11. Big skate (Beringraja binoculata). Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  12. California skate (Beringraja inornata). Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  13. Sandpaper skate (Bathyraja interrupta). Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  14. Longnose skate (Raja rhina). Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  15. Spotted ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei). Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  16. Dangerous wildlife. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “For non-emergency dangerous wildlife complaints, call 877-933-9847, or submit an online report.”
  17. 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.