A mechanical seal that seals a sealed fluid by interposing an intermediate ring between a rotating ring and a stationary ring, comprising: a first annular effective seal portion where the rotating ring and the intermediate ring slide with each other; and a seamless continuous annular protrusion (41, 41A, 43, 43A) formed in the intermediate ring or the stationary ring as a second annular effective seal portion where the stationary ring and the intermediate ring contact with each other, the rotating ring, the intermediate ring, and the stationary ring being concentrically arranged in a state in which a radius distance of a region of the first annular effective seal portion where a pressure of the sealed fluid is applied and a radius distance of a region of the second annular effective seal portion where a pressure of the sealed fluid is applied are different from each other; and a load receiving portion (50, 50A, 54) arranged between the intermediate ring and the stationary ring in opposition to a side of the sealed fluid across the seamless continuous annular protrusion (41, 41A, 43, 43A) in a radial direction, and formed with the intermediate ring or stationary ring so as to project in an annular shape from the intermediate ring toward the stationary ring or from the stationary ring toward the intermediate ring with a distance from the seamless continuous annular protrusion (41, 41A, 43, 43A) at a low-pressure side, wherein the load receiving portion (50, 50A, 54) includes a communication path (52, 57) communicating inside and outside sections in the radial direction, an annular space surrounded by the seamless continuous annular protrusion (41, 41A, 43, 43A) and the load receiving portion (50, 50A, 54) is communicated with the low-pressure side through the communication path (52, 57) characterized in that the load receiving portion (50, 50A, 54) is constituted of a plurality of arcuate projection portions arranged at equal intervals, and the communication path (52, 57) is one of communication paths (52, 57) which are formed between the arcuate projection portions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. a first annular effective seal portion where the rotating ring and the intermediate ring slide with each other; and a seamless continuous annular protrusion (41, 41A, 43, 43A) formed in the intermediate ring or the stationary ring as a second annular effective seal portion where the stationary ring and the intermediate ring contact with each other, the rotating ring, the intermediate ring, and the stationary ring being concentrically arranged in a state in which a radius distance of a region of the first annular effective seal portion where a pressure of the sealed fluid is applied and a radius distance of a region of the second annular effective seal portion where a pressure of the sealed fluid is applied are different from each other; and a load receiving portion (50, 50A, 54) arranged between the intermediate ring and the stationary ring in opposition to a side of the sealed fluid across the seamless continuous annular protrusion (41, 41A, 43, 43A) in a radial direction, and formed with the intermediate ring or stationary ring so as to project in an annular shape from the intermediate ring toward the stationary ring or from the stationary ring toward the intermediate ring with a distance from the seamless continuous annular protrusion (41, 41A, 43, 43A) at a low-pressure side, wherein the load receiving portion (50, 50A, 54) includes a communication path (52, 57) communicating inside and outside sections in the radial direction, an annular space surrounded by the seamless continuous annular protrusion (41, 41A, 43, 43A) and the load receiving portion (50, 50A, 54) is communicated with the low-pressure side through the communication path (52, 57) characterized in that the load receiving portion (50, 50A, 54) is constituted of a plurality of arcuate projection portions arranged at equal intervals, and the communication path (52, 57) is one of communication paths (52, 57) which are formed between the arcuate projection portions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction.