Tiger sharks have a cosmopolitan distribution in the world's oceans. In North America, they are found off both coasts, ranging from New England to Florida in the western Atlantic, and from California southward in the eastern Pacific. They are especially common in the Caribbean Sea. Tiger sharks are not normally found in Canadian waters, but a good number of strays turn up here, some of which are caught accidentally by fishing operators on the east coast. Tiger sharks' preferred habitat is in shallow coastal areas near river mouths, where prey is abundant.

Tiger sharks have a streamlined body with a short, blunt snout and a mouth filled with curved teeth. They have two dorsal fins, the first of which is large and halfway down their length, and the second small and close to their tail fin. Tiger sharks range in colour from blue-grey to greyish-green, with an off-white or yellowish underside. Juveniles have a mottled pattern on their dorsal side, which develops into a striped, tiger-like scheme in adults. Tiger sharks can grow to more than five metres in length and weigh over 600 kilograms.