Blacktip Reef Shark

The blacktip reef shark is a requiem shark identifiable by prominent black tips on its fins, especially the first dorsal and caudal fins. It inhabits tropical coral reefs of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and prefers shallow, inshore waters such as reef ledges and sandy flats, and can enter brackish and freshwater environments. Adults typically reach about 1.6 m (5.2 ft), with females larger than males. This species has very small home ranges and strong site fidelity, often remaining in the same local area for years. It is an active predator of small bony fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans, and has been recorded feeding on sea snakes and seabirds. Reproduction is viviparous: females give birth to two to five young on cycles reported as annual, biennial, or possibly biannual; reported gestation periods vary geographically. The species is generally timid and skittish, rarely posing a danger to humans unless provoked by food, though shallow-water wading can result in accidental bites. The blacktip reef shark is used for meat, fins, and liver oil.

Although widespread and relatively common overall, the species has declined in several areas due to overfishing of this slow-reproducing shark; it is assessed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

Shows extremely small home ranges and strong site fidelity, often remaining within the same local area for up to several years.

The strongest linked planning options currently surface around destinations such as Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi (Phi Phi Islands), Krabi (Ao Nang and Railay) and countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia for divers building trips around blacktip reef sharks.