Sharks
Leopard (Zebra) Shark
Stegostoma tigrinum · Cartilaginous fish — family Stegostomatidae
Finding a zebra shark on a sand flat feels like a gift: two meters of pale gold scattered with dark leopard rosettes, ridged like carved wood, motionless but wide awake, gills pulsing. It tolerates a careful diver at close range longer than almost any large shark, which made it a photographic staple across Thailand and the Coral Triangle — and made its decline conspicuous when nets emptied region after region. Thailand's Similans remain a stronghold, and Australia's east coast hosts famous seasonal gatherings. Watching one finally lift off, tail rippling like a ribbon in wind, is the quiet highlight of many trips.
どこで・いつ見られるか
「常駐（Resident）」とは、そのダイビングスポットでのほとんどのダイブで遭遇できることを意味します。「季節限定（Seasonal）」とは、記載された月に確実に見られることを意味します。それ以外の出会いはボーナスであり、計画の前提にはなりません。
| 目的地 | 信頼性 | 月 | メモ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Similan Islands & Richelieu RockThailand | Resident — seen on most dives | Oct–May | |
| Cairns & the Ribbon ReefsAustralia | Occasional | 年間を通じて | |
| Raja AmpatIndonesia | Occasional | 年間を通じて | |
| Koh TaoThailand | Occasional | 年間を通じて |
ベストな月、一目でわかる
| 月 | 安定して出会える目的地 |
|---|---|
| January | Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock · Cairns & the Ribbon Reefs · Raja Ampat · Koh Tao |
| February | Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock · Cairns & the Ribbon Reefs · Raja Ampat · Koh Tao |
| March | Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock · Cairns & the Ribbon Reefs · Raja Ampat · Koh Tao |
| April | Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock · Cairns & the Ribbon Reefs · Raja Ampat · Koh Tao |
| May | Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock · Cairns & the Ribbon Reefs · Raja Ampat · Koh Tao |
| June | Cairns & the Ribbon Reefs · Raja Ampat · Koh Tao |
| July | Cairns & the Ribbon Reefs · Raja Ampat · Koh Tao |
| August | Cairns & the Ribbon Reefs · Raja Ampat · Koh Tao |
| September | Cairns & the Ribbon Reefs · Raja Ampat · Koh Tao |
| October | Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock · Cairns & the Ribbon Reefs · Raja Ampat · Koh Tao |
| November | Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock · Cairns & the Ribbon Reefs · Raja Ampat · Koh Tao |
| December | Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock · Cairns & the Ribbon Reefs · Raja Ampat · Koh Tao |
理解を深める
ハビタット: Sandy patches beside coral reefs; rests on the bottom by day facing into current, hunts the reef at night
分布域: Tropical Indo-Pacific from East Africa and the Red Sea through Southeast Asia to northern Australia and the western Pacific
生態・行動: A gentle, torpid daytime resident, propped on its pectorals on sand with its ridged, spotted body in plain view. Adults wear leopard spots but hatch as striped 'zebras' — the source of the naming muddle between Indo-Pacific 'leopard' usage and Australia's 'zebra shark'. Swims with an eel-like wriggle when disturbed.
食性: Mollusks, crustaceans, small fish, and sea snakes, extracted from crevices with a flexible, wriggling body
サイズ: 目安は 2.0 m; 確認済みの最大記録 2.5 m (total length, nearly half of it a long, low tail).
出会ったときの正しいふるまい方
Approach a resting shark low and from the front-side, stop outside touching distance, and leave before it bolts — repeated flushing burns the animal's energy and empties the site for everyone after you.
保全
Endangered — inshore gillnetting has emptied much of Southeast Asia's habitat. A coalition of aquariums and scientists is now rewilding captive-bred pups in Raja Ampat, one of the first shark reintroduction programs anywhere.
目撃情報で知られるダイブサイト
動画を見る
公式チャンネルより
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Sink or Swim? with Monét X Change | Monterey Bay Aquarium
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