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COMMON NAMES;
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Silvertip shark |
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LATIN NAME(S);
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Carcharhinus albimarginatus |
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FAMILY;
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Carcharhinidae |
| IDENTIFICATION; |
White tips and trailing margins of dorsal, pectoral, and caudal fins (and to a lesser degree all other fins). Stout body. Gray to bluish gray upper body. Underside pale to white |
| SIZE; |
Maximum length 3 metres. 63 - 68cm at birth |
| HABITAT; |
Deeper off shore reefs, isolated islets, and continental drop offs. Intertidal to usually below 30 meters |
| DISTRIBUTION; |
Eastern Pacific from Central California coast to the Gulf of California (Baja) and Southern Mexico. A southern population occurs in central Chile but this population may eventually prove to be a distinct species.
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| BEHAVIOR; |
Territorial. Seen singly, in pairs, and in small aggregations. Cruises reef faces usually in deep water. Feeds on benthic, reef, and pelagic fishes such as scorpionfishes, parrotfishes, tuna, and small sharks |
| REPRODUCTION; |
Viviparous. Litter number 1 - 11. Mating obviously an aggressive activity as females have been observed with mating wounds including the top of the first dorsal bitten off |
| REACTION TO DIVERS; |
Usually shy moves away unless in a baited situation. I have observed extremely aggressive behaviour as soon as bait was introduced. During one feed in Burma two Silvertips hit the bait so hard that they carried into the reef with a resounding crash, breaking coral and thrashing wildly. Divers have been reported to be attacked during shark feeds in Micronesia and New Guinea. |
| DIVE OPERATOR; |
This article was written about the authors encounters with silvertip sharks while diving shark reef at Bega Lagoon, Fiji.
For opportunities to encounter this rare shark please visit
www.fiji-sharks.com
EDITOR'S NOTE: Shark Diving is an extreme sport. It carries a considerable risk of personal injury or death. Do not participate in these activities unless you are an expert, have sought or obtained qualified professional instruction or guidance, are knowledgeable about the risks involved and are willing to assume personal responsibility for all the risks involved with this sport.
When planning any shark trip make sure to do your homework. There is NEVER any guarantees you will see any sharks at these dive sites. Luck and time of year are the most important factors for any shark trip.
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