What Divers Should Know About Oceanic Whitetip Shark

Roaming tropical and warm temperate seas worldwide, from 45°N to 43°S latitude, the oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) is a captivating pelagic inhabitant. This large requiem shark spends most of its time in the upper 150 meters of deep, open oceans, preferring off-shore areas with water temperatures above 18°C. However, it can occasionally be found closer to land, appearing in waters as shallow as 37 meters around oceanic islands and narrow continental shelves.

A robust, large-bodied shark, the oceanic whitetip typically grows up to 3 meters (10 ft) in length, though specimens exceeding 4 meters (13 ft) have been recorded. Its most distinguishing features are its iconic, elongated, rounded pectoral and dorsal fins, which are significantly larger than those of most other shark species and conspicuously tipped with white. While typically solitary, these sharks may gather in large numbers where food concentrations occur.