A slender, cat-eyed shark with bright white-tipped fins, unusual for resting motionless on the sand or stacked in reef caves by day. It can pump water over its gills to breathe while still. At night it becomes a relentless crevice-hunter, wriggling into coral to flush out sleeping fish.
- Size
- ~1.6 m
- Weight
- Around 20 kg (up to ~28 kg).
- Diet
- Reef fishes, octopus, crustaceans and lobsters, prised from crevices.
- Lifespan
- At least ~16 years.
- Depth
- Typically 8–40 m on the reef bottom (recorded to ~330 m).
- Reproduction
- Live-bearing; 1–5 pups, gestation ~10–14 months.
- Snorkel or dive
- Dive (some shallow snorkel)
- Best season
- Year-round
- Conservation
- Vulnerable
How to recognise it
Slender grey body; bright white tips on first dorsal and upper tail lobe.
Behaviour in the wild
Largely nocturnal; rests by day in caves and under ledges, often stacked in groups.
Where to see it in the Maldives
Abundant atoll-wide on thilas and overhangs; famous on Maaya Thila night dives (N. Ari).
Visual field notes
See whitetip reef shark from more than one angle.
3 human-reviewed photographs chosen for identity, habitat and behaviour.
01 · Field portrait · Species reference
PhotoKris Mikael KristerCC BY 3.0web-adapted
02 · Identification · Maldives photograph
PhotoJan DerkPublic domainweb-adapted
03 · Habitat · Maldives photograph
PhotoJulien Bidet for MDC SeamarcCC BY-SA 4.0web-adapted
Recorded locations
Build a trip from real sighting records.
Atolls
Show 8 more atollsHide extra atolls
Conservation context
Reef fisheries and bycatch, habitat degradation, localised depletion.
IUCN · Vulnerable
Watch responsibly
Don't poke resting sharks in caves or under ledges — let resting animals rest; keep distance.
Field notes
Can pump water over its gills while lying still, so it doesn't need to keep swimming to breathe.
Several will pile into the same cave to rest together, returning to favoured shelters day after day.
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.
