Sharks mistake humans for seals.

Is it true that sharks mistake humans for seals?

Partly. Several sources describe the mistaken-identity idea that white sharks bite humans because people resemble seals or pinnipeds, and one video-based study found human and pinniped motion and shape cues similar from a shark's view. However, a peer-reviewed critique calls the hypothesis unproven and an anthropomorphic fallacy, and a National Geographic piece argues great whites are sharp-sighted and bite many non-prey objects, so the evidence only partially supports the claim and is contested.

Verdict: CONTESTED PARTIAL · 3 sources for, 2 against · Last checked 16 Oct 2026

A shark's eye view: testing the ‘mistaken identity theory’ behind shark bites on humans. (n.d.). api.semanticscholar.org. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:239890032

The ‘Mistaken Identity Hypothesis’ for shark bites on humans is an anthropomorphic fallacy. (n.d.). brill.com. https://brill.com/downloadpdf/journals/beh/aop/article-10.1163-1568539X-bja10196/article-10.1163-1568539X-bja10196.pdf

Patterns of overlapping habitat use of juvenile white shark and human recreational water users along southern California beaches. (n.d.). doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286575

the-world-book-encyclopedia-volume-20. (n.d.). archive.org. https://archive.org/details/the-world-book-encyclopedia-volume-20

Great White Shark Attacks: Defanging the Myths | National Geographic. (n.d.). nationalgeographic.com. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/great-white-shark-myths