Common name:
Whitetip reef shark
Scientific name:
Triaenodon obesus
Spanish name:
Tiburón coralero ñato
Conservation status:
Vulnerable
Average lifespan:
14 - 19 years
Average size:
1.5 metres
Maximum size:
2.13 metres
Average weight:
10 kilograms
Maximum weight:
18.3 kilograms
The whitetip reef shark – also referred to as the blunthead shark – is quite sluggish compared to other species within the Triaenodon family and they are small to medium in size. Unlike the blacktip shark, which have black marks on the end of their fins, the whitetip has white marks. They have a noticeably slender body with a grey to brownish upper side and a white or greyish underside.
During the day, many sharks crowd into caves, usually stacking themselves on top of each other. Whitetips normally return to the same cave or crevice every day, sometimes for years. During the dark hours of night or under calm waters, however, they hunt smaller reef inhabitants that are hidden within the coral.
"Every year, globally, humans harvest 100 million individual sharks from our oceans."
The Galapagos Marine Reserve is home to the highest concentration of sharks in the world, and this project aims to protect sharks throughout their lifetimes from key threats such as overfishing.
Please help us conserve the endangered sharks of Galapagos by donating today or by adopting a hammerhead shark.
