Blacktip Reef Sharks

Blacktip Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) are amongst the most captivating. Easily identified by the distinctive black tip on their fins they are considered one of the most beautiful sharks in the ocean.

Blacktip reef sharks are typically found in warm, shallow water near coral reefs, hence their name, reef sharks. They are typically greyish in colour with black on the tips of their fins. While they aren’t currently listed as endangered, the species is near threatened, and unfortunately numbers are declining in the wild.

Blacktip reef shark fun facts:

• Like some other shark species, Blacktip reef sharks give birth to live young, so they’re ready to hunt from birth!
• They grow usually up to around 5ft in length, but some have been recorded in the wild as almost 9ft
• Blacktip reef sharks aren’t considered social creatures, but are usually found in small groups of different ages, like a family.
• In the wild they eat smaller fish, and hunt cooperatively by herding them, helping to catch them more easily.