Carcharhinus melanopterus
- Up to about 1.6 mSize
- Year round; shallow reef flats on a rising tideBest time
- Vulnerable (IUCN)Status
What to look for
Brownish-grey above, white below, with a crisp black tip on every fin and a bold black mark on the first dorsal fin edged with white underneath. You will usually see it in a few metres of water near the reef crest, and often just the fin at the surface from the boat.
A good sign
Reef sharks are a measure of a healthy reef. Where the small fish they hunt are plentiful and fishing pressure is low, blacktips are common; where they vanish, the reef is usually in trouble. The Great Barrier Reef’s green zones are among the few places in the world where their numbers are stable.
Where to see it
Dive with us to see it
You might also see
- Whitetip reef sharkThe slender shark asleep under the ledge. Harmless, curious at night, and a resident at several of our sites.
- Grey reef sharkThe classic reef shark: a stocky grey patroller of walls, drop-offs and current points, often in groups.
- Green turtleThe turtle you’ll meet most on the reef: grazing on the shallows, resting under ledges, surfacing to breathe beside the boat.
