shark
Grey reef shark.
Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos · also: Grey whaler
The classic patrolling reef shark of Maldivian channels and drop-offs — fast, muscular, and often seen cruising current-swept passes. It is famous for a dramatic, exaggerated "hunched" threat display when it feels cornered. Highly site-faithful, the same individuals haunt the same reefs for years.
Size
~1.8–2.0 m
Weight
Up to ~33 kg.
Diet
Reef fishes (mostly under 30 cm), squid, octopus and crustaceans.
Lifespan
At least ~25 years.
Depth
Most often 0–60 m on reef slopes (recorded to ~800 m).
Reproduction
Live-bearing; 1–6 pups after ~12-month gestation.
Snorkel or dive
Dive (advanced in channels)
Best season
Year-round; best on incoming current
Conservation
Endangered (recently uplisted; verify live)
How to recognise it
Streamlined grey body; broad black trailing edge on the tail fin.
Behaviour
Active, curious; patrols channels in current; performs a hunched threat display if cornered.
Where to see it in the Maldives
Atoll channels (kandus) and thilas atoll-wide — Fotteyo (Vaavu), Fish Head (N. Ari), Kuredu Express.
Recorded at
Atolls
Dive sites
Conservation
Reef fisheries, finning, bycatch — reef-associated, so very exposed to local pressure.
IUCN · Endangered (recently uplisted; verify live)
Watch them responsibly
Don't corner it or block its exit; back off if it shows the arched threat posture, and never feed.
One of the first sharks shown to use a ritualised body-language threat display.
Reassessed to Endangered (IUCN 2020) after steep reef-shark declines.
Collective noun: a shiver of sharks
Want to dive with grey reef shark?
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Sightings are typical, not guaranteed — encounters vary with season and conditions.