Whitetip Reef Sharks on the Great Barrier Reef

February 18, 2009 by Kimberly

The very first shark I ever saw in the ocean was a Whitetip Reef Shark!

Not only that, it was the very first time I had ever snorkeled either…I went under the water for the first dip and there was a shark! It was probably about 5 feet long!

Sure…It brought me right back up to the surface and ready to head back to shore, but our guide told me they’re harmless, unless you really mess around with them and bother them, which I was not even about to attempt.

This wasn’t on the Great Barrier Reef, but on the Ningaloo Reef on the other side of Australia.

I’m sure you’ve heard of shark feedings and tours that take you out to experience this. Well, I’ve found a video showing you a shark feed on the Great Barrier Reef.

You’ll know the whitetip reef sharks because they have a white tip on their tail and caudal fin:

Wasn’t that beautiful and amazing! Did you check out the huge Cod? Wow!

I’d love to see this in person…The animals are just fantastic!

These reef sharks feed on fish, octopi and crustaceans, but more so at night as they are nocturnal. Also, as their diet indicates, they prefer to dwell on the bottom of the reef, where they sleep during the day.

Conservation Status:
The Whitetip Reef Shark is a Near Threatened species of shark and are prevalent all over the world. In fact, I think it was a whitetip reef shark we dissected in lab in University for Pre-Med.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Carcharhinidae
Genus: Triaenodon
Species: T. obesus