shark
Silky shark.
Carcharhinus falciformis · also: Olive shark
A sleek, slender open-ocean shark named for the smooth, silky feel of its fine-scaled skin. One of the most abundant pelagic sharks worldwide, it is curious and often shadows divers in the blue. It associates with tuna schools and floating objects — which sadly makes it a frequent longline and purse-seine victim.
Size
~2.5–3.5 m
Weight
Up to ~346 kg.
Diet
Pelagic bony fishes (especially tuna), squid and pelagic crabs.
Lifespan
~23 years.
Depth
Surface to ~500 m usually.
Reproduction
Live-bearing; ~2–18 pups, gestation ~9–12 months.
Snorkel or dive
Dive — advanced (blue water)
Best season
Opportunistic
Conservation
Vulnerable
How to recognise it
Slender and streamlined; smooth silky skin; small first dorsal set well back; bronze sheen.
Behaviour
Oceanic and pelagic; associates with tuna schools and open-water current lines.
Where to see it in the Maldives
Open/outer water of the southern atolls — Huvadhoo channels and Fuvahmulah; seen in the blue.
Recorded at
Conservation
Vulnerable — among the most heavily traded sharks for fins; massive tuna-fishery bycatch.
IUCN · Vulnerable
Watch them responsibly
Stay grouped and aware in open water (they can be persistently curious); keep distance, no feeding.
One of the most abundant oceanic sharks globally, yet heavily hit by tuna-fishery bycatch.
Juveniles shelter under drifting debris and fish-aggregating devices — a habit that funnels them into industrial gear.
Collective noun: a shiver of sharks
Want to dive with silky shark?
Our Maldives specialists match you to the right atoll, season and resort.
Sightings are typical, not guaranteed — encounters vary with season and conditions.