Why are sharks scared of dolphins?

It does seem sort of crazy that sharks would be scared of dolphins. But there is actually a good reason. Sharks like to eat animals that are smaller than them - they particularly like to eat young (baby) dolphins. Dolphins, however, are really smart animals, so they've long since figured this out. read more

This is especially the case for larger sharks like the Great White. Dolphins protect themselves against sharks by coordinating in large groups and ramming the shark over and over until they are beaten to death. According to scientists like Michael Heithaus, sharks fear dolphins primarily when the shark is outnumbered. read more

Sharks are afraid of dolphins in numbers. Dolphins are strong and when they work together to hunt or protect others, most sharks are no match for a pod of dolphins with a plan. His best bet is to scram. Dolphins can kill a shark by ramming it or using their fluke on it. But generally it takes more than one dolphin to do damage to the shark. read more

Great question! It does seem sort of crazy that sharks would be scared of dolphins. But there is actually a good reason. Sharks like to eat animals that are smaller than them - they particularly like to eat young (baby) dolphins. Dolphins, however, are really smart animals, so they've long since figured this out. read more