WHERE AND WHEN WE SEE THEM:

Oceanic Blacktip sharks are seen throughout the year on PROTEA BANKS. They are either seen naturally on a reef dive or on a BAITED SHARK DIVE. Due to their colouring they are great sharks to photograph.

ABOUT OCEANIC BLACKTIP SHARKS

Carcharhinus limbatus, the Oceanic Blacktip shark, is a common shark that can be found in temperate, tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. The Oceanic Blacktip shark has a stout streamlined body with a fusiform shape and a long pointed snout, with relatively small eyes. The gill slits are long and there is no ridge between the dorsal fins. The distinguishing feature of this species is that they can have black tips or edges on their pectoral, dorsal, pelvic or caudal fins. An Oceanic Blacktip shark around 2m in size, is a regular sighting.

The Oceanic Blacktip shark is often seen above the water. It makes spinning leaps out of the water while attacking schools of fish.

The majority of Oceanic Blacktip sharks are found in water less than 40m deep. They can however also penetrate short distances into fresh water.

The Oceanic Blacktip shark is an extremely fast, energetic predator that is usually found in groups of varying sizes.

It has been assessed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), on the basis of its low productive rate and high value to fisheries.