However there are some sharks that are built for speed. Keep in mind that sharks are predators, just like lion and tigers are predators on the land. Sharks typically cruise around the ocean looking for prey at a leisurely 1.5 mph (2.4 kph). Large sharks generally cruise at a leisurely 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres) per hour. The whale shark swims at a speed of 3 miles per hour. Because most species fare poorly in captivity, the maximum swimming speed of a shark has seldom been measured. A person in the water facing a shark in serious attack mode has little chance of swimming fast enough to escape. Asked in Sharks , Great White Sharks , Corals and Coral Reefs How fast can a white tip reef shark swim ? How Fast Can a Shark Swim? Some of these sharks have record breaking speeds and clock in as fast as cars. It's alot faster than 1 mph, a human swims 2-5 mph average. Sharks typically swim with the even, liquid grace of a creature completely at home with its place in the Universe. The type of shark they are asking for is clearly a Great White Shark. So who are these incredibly fast sharks? Their speed is the key to their deal meal. The sharks have to swim faster to catch their prey. They help them to swim fast for when a shark tries to eat it they use there fins to swim fast. HOW FAST CAN SHARKS SWIM? Below we are going to look at the shark swimming speed of various species then compare them with some things we can relate with. However, sharks can also be surprisingly fast, with some species being capable of attaining speeds of 42 miles per hour. Everybody must wonder how fast can sharks swim. Actually, sharks are built for sudden bursts of speed usually when they attack prey. But yet you may wonder – how fast can sharks truly swim? Sharks spend most of their time slowly cruising around the seas, usually at a speed of 1.5 miles per hour to conserve energy. Shark Swimming Speed: The Major Determining Factors. Usually sharks swim quite slowly, at a speed of about 8 km / h. but during an attack they can briefly accelerate for a short time, up to 45 km / h. The unconditional leaders in high-speed swimming include the Mako shark, capable of developing a speed of over 60 km / h (according to unconfirmed data – up to 80 km / h). At these times, they can reach about 12 mph (20 kph), the speed of a running human on land. How fast can they swim? Sharks can swim much faster over short bursts when they are attacking prey.