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 — assessed July 2020
How to recognise it
Streamlined grey body; broad black trailing edge on the tail fin.
Behaviour in the wild
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.
Visual field notes
See grey reef shark from more than one angle.
3 human-reviewed photographs chosen for identity, habitat and behaviour.
01 · Field portrait · Species reference
PhotoNOAA Fisheries/Dani EscontrelaPublic domainweb-adapted
02 · Behaviour & scale · Maldives photograph
PhotoDr. Thomas DörnerCC BY-SA 4.0web-adapted
03 · Habitat · Maldives photograph
PhotoDr. Thomas DörnerCC BY-SA 4.0web-adapted
Recorded locations
Build a trip from real sighting records.
Atolls
Dive and snorkel sites
Explore 36 more recorded sitesHide extra sites
Conservation context
Reef fisheries, finning, bycatch — reef-associated, so very exposed to local pressure.
IUCN · Endangered — assessed July 2020
Watch responsibly
Don't corner it or block its exit; back off if it shows the arched threat posture, and never feed.
Field notes
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
Profile references
References are shown transparently; profile copy may also include editorial synthesis. Seasons and sightings vary with wild conditions.
