How to Draw a Salmon Shark

In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Salmon Shark in 6 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.

The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.

Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.

At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Salmon Shark.

Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.

How to Draw a Salmon Shark - Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Draw a sideways V.

Step 2: Draw another, longer V within the first and connect their points with a straight line. Add a dot inside the second V. Draw a checkmark with the short end connecting to the end of the first V, and the long end pointing down. Add a long line connected to the end of the first V.

Step 3: Draw a long line pointing down, connected to the top of the back of the head. Draw a triangle on top of the spot where the two lines meet.

Step 4: Draw a curved V-shape on the end of the bottom of the head. Draw a curve that goes from the top of the V and points up slightly. Draw another, small V on the end of that curve.

Step 5: Draw two lines from the top and bottom ends of the body. Draw an angle pointed to the body and connect the previous two lines to each end of the angle. Draw a smaller angle inside this shape.

Step 6: Draw a line that goes from the top of the face to the tail. Draw a zig-zagging line from the bottom of the face to the front fin. Draw a curved line from the front fin to the first line. Draw several vertical lines near the face between the first and second line. You have drawn a salmon shark! You can color it with a grey or black topside and a white underside with dark blotches.

Interesting Facts about Salmon Sharks

Salmon Sharks are found in the Northern Pacific Ocean. Fishermen have caught the shark as far north as Alaska in the United States and as far south as the Sea of Japan. Although the shark is known to follow salmon populations, the Salmon Shark isn’t a picky eater. Salmon Sharks will eat many ocean fish like cods, Pollock, herrings, and some squids. Salmon Sharks are short sharks, they measure 3 meters long. Their snouts are cone-shaped and their skin is a blue gray color that can be any range of light and dark. Although Salmon Sharks aren’t fished for a lot, there are times when fishermen will catch on in its nets or the shark damages their equipment. There have been times when fishermen have killed a Salmon Shark on purpose to get it out of the way.

Did you know?

  • Salmon Sharks give birth to live young and a litter is 3 to 4 pups.
  • Sometimes a Salmon Shark is mistaken for a White Shark. During mating season, a White Shark will eat a Salmon Shark.
  • In America, the fins of the Salmon Shark are made into soup and the skin is tanned into leather.
  • In Japan, the fins, skin, oil, and meat are all used. The Japanese use the Salmon Shark’s heart in a dish that is served raw.
  • A Salmon Shark is something called “homoeothermic.” That means they can control their body temperatures. That’s pretty useful out in the cold Pacific!

Lesson Plan Note: Turn your classroom into the Pacific Ocean! Decorate the room with construction paper waves and hang construction paper sharks that can be found in the area from the ceiling. This way the students have a reference to that week’s curriculum.

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