Our popular program returns for a limited run! Orders must be placed July 27 – August 27, 2026. All shark adoptions will be fulfilled and shipped out the first week of September.
Some shark adoptions let you track one shark. This one helps you train the people who will protect them all. Choose a shark species. Give it a name. And help an emerging ocean leader turn their passion into a career protecting sharks.
Every symbolic shark adoption helps fund the five-year-old Shark Angels Shark Conservation Internship Program, where college and graduate students gain mentorship, practical experience and the real-world skills they need to build careers protecting sharks and our oceans.
Two Ways to Adopt a Shark
Choose a complete plush adoption kit or a virtual shark adoption delivered by email. Our adoptions make great gifts… for others or for yourself!
Plush Shark Adoption Kit
A collectible favorited by shark lovers around the world! Over 5,550 kits sold since 2017. Choose from 6 different sharks. Hand packaged + prepared with love by the Shark Angels team. Your kit includes:
- Shark plush: great white, tiger, whale, hammerhead, mako, or saw
- Personalized printed adoption certificate
- Shark species photo and fact card
- Exclusive Shark Angels shark sticker
- The adopted shark’s name (and who they were adopted by) on our online Adoption Wall
- 100% of proceeds go to shark conservation
Physical adoption kits are prepared in limited seasonal batches.
Virtual Shark Adoptions
A personalized shark adoption that can be delivered anywhere, anytime. Instant gratification here we come! You still choose the species AND occasion… Your virtual adoption includes:
- Personalized digital adoption certificate that is occasion specific: General | Shark Week | Birthday | Thinking of you | Valentine’s Day | Holidays | Mother’s Day | Father’s Day
- Choose your species
- The adopted shark’s name (and who they were adopted by) on our online Adoption Wall
- 100% of proceeds go to shark conservation
Virtual adoption kits are sent immediately to the recipient provided.
10 years | 5,554 Sharks | One growing network of Shark Conservationists empowered to bring about change.
Your adoption helps fund the Shark Angels Shark Conservation Internship Program.
Our interns are college and graduate students preparing for careers in marine science and conservation. They join us with passion. We help them turn that passion into impact. They don’t just learn about conservation. They practice it.
Through real projects and one-on-one mentorship, interns develop practical skills in:
- Shark policy and legislation
- Advocacy and campaign building
- Science communication
- Education and public speaking
- Fundraising and nonprofit operations
- Digital media and storytelling
Perfect for Shark Lovers Everywhere
A virtual shark adoption is a great gift when:
- You need something meaningful without shipping
- The recipient lives far away
- You need a gift quickly
- You are adopting for a classroom
- The recipient prefers a digital gift
- You want to put more of your purchase toward the program
Which Shark Will You Choose?
Great White Shark
Powerful, curious, and widely misunderstood, the great white is one of the ocean’s most recognizable sharks.
Tiger Shark
Named for the stripes seen most clearly when they are young, tiger sharks are bold and adaptable ocean travelers.
Hammerhead Shark
The hammerhead’s unusual head shape gives it an extraordinary view of the world around it.
Whale Shark
The world’s largest fish is a gentle, filter-feeding shark covered in a one-of-a-kind pattern of spots.
Mako Shark
Built for speed, the mako is one of the fastest sharks in the ocean.
Sawshark
The sawshark uses its long, tooth-lined snout to find and capture prey.
Species availability may vary by adoption type and release.
Why Adopt Through Shark Angels?
We Are Focused on Sharks
Shark Angels is dedicated to changing the future for sharks. Our community includes conservationists, educators, scientists, divers, advocates, and people around the world who simply love sharks.
Your Adoption Is Personal
You choose the species. You name your shark. We personalize the certificate and recognize your shark on our online Adoption Wall.
Your Adoption Has a Purpose
Your purchase supports our mission to replace fear with facts and inspire people to protect sharks and their ocean home.
A Shark Angels Tradition
Over five thousand shark lovers have already joined the Shark Angels family through our symbolic shark adoption program during the last 10 years.
Plush Shark Adoptions Are Released in Limited Batches
We prepare and fulfill our physical adoption kits ourselves. To give every adoption the attention it deserves, plush kits are offered in limited seasonal batches.
Each release has a limited number of kits and a clear shipping schedule. When a batch sells out, plush adoptions close until the next release.
Current release: Shark Week 2026
Order deadline: August 27th, 2026
Expected shipping: September 4th, 2026
Is This a Real or Symbolic Shark Adoption?
Shark Angels offers symbolic shark adoptions. Your adoption does not correspond to one tagged wild shark, and it does not include live shark tracking.
Instead, your adoption supports broader efforts to protect sharks through conservation, education, advocacy, and outreach.
You will choose a shark species, name your shark, receive a personalized certificate, and join our Shark Adoption Wall.
A Meaningful Gift for Shark Lovers
A shark adoption makes a memorable gift for:
- Birthdays
- Holidays
- Graduations
- Classrooms
- Shark Week
- Ocean lovers
- Future marine biologists
- Anyone who believes sharks deserve protection
Choose the recipient’s name for the certificate and include an optional personal message.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to symbolically adopt a shark?
A symbolic shark adoption supports Shark Angels’ mission rather than one individual animal. You choose a species, name your shark, receive a personalized adoption, and help build support for shark conservation.
Can I track my adopted shark?
It represents something larger: your decision to help prepare the next generation of people who will advocate for sharks, communicate the science, influence policy, and lead conservation forward.
Some adoptions let you watch a dot move across a map. This one helps a future shark conservationist find their direction and gives them the tools to magnify their impact.
What shark species can I adopt?
Species may include great white, tiger, hammerhead, whale, mako, and sawshark. Current availability is shown on each adoption page.
Can I give an adoption as a gift?
Yes. Enter the gift recipient’s name for the certificate and add an optional personal message.
What comes with a plush shark adoption?
The kit includes a shark plush, personalized printed certificate, shark species photo and fact card, exclusive sticker, and recognition on our online Adoption Wall.
What comes with a virtual shark adoption?
The virtual option includes a personalized digital certificate, digital shark photo and facts, and recognition on our online Adoption Wall.
When will my plush adoption ship?
Each limited release has its own order and shipping dates. The current schedule appears on the plush adoption page before you order.
Where does the money go?
Your adoption helps fund hands-on training, professional experience, and mentorship for emerging shark conservationists.
Shark Angels Shark Adoption Walls– Official Shark Ambassadors
Shark Angels adoptions are symbolic. They do not represent the adoption or tracking of one individual wild shark.