shark
Tiger shark.
Galeocerdo cuvier · also: Sea tiger
One of the ocean's great apex predators, named for the dark vertical bars on juveniles that fade with age. It has the broadest diet of any shark — and an infamous reputation as the sea's "garbage can". Large, curious and powerful, it commands respect on any Maldivian dive.
Size
~4.5–5.5 m
Weight
Commonly ~300–900 kg; exceptional females over 1,500 kg.
Diet
Almost anything — turtles, sea snakes, rays, fish, seabirds, dolphins, smaller sharks, carrion.
Lifespan
~27–37 years.
Depth
Surface to ~150 m typically; recorded beyond 1,000 m.
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous (unique among requiem sharks); large litters (~10–80 pups), gestation ~13–16 months.
Snorkel or dive
Dive only
Best season
Year-round at Fuvahmulah
Conservation
Near Threatened
How to recognise it
Blunt squarish snout; dark vertical tiger bars (fade with age); very broad body.
Behaviour
Large apex predator with a varied diet; bold and inquisitive but predictable at established sites.
Where to see it in the Maldives
Fuvahmulah (deep south) — the world's most reliable, near-daily tiger shark dive.
Conservation
Near Threatened — targeted and bycatch fisheries, finning, shark-control programmes.
IUCN · Near Threatened
Watch them responsibly
Stay vertical and aware, keep a respectful distance, never feed or provoke; defer to experienced guides.
Famed as the ocean's garbage can — known to swallow indigestible objects.
Its serrated, can-opener teeth can shear through a sea turtle's shell.
Collective noun: a shiver of sharks
Want to dive with tiger shark?
Our Maldives specialists match you to the right atoll, season and resort.
Sightings are typical, not guaranteed — encounters vary with season and conditions.