Sharks
Oceanic Whitetip Shark
Carcharhinus longimanus · Cartilaginous fish — family Carcharhinidae
Meeting an oceanic whitetip rearranges your understanding of shark encounters. Most species keep a polite perimeter; this one crosses it immediately, gliding in at eye level on pectoral fins like white-tipped wings, close enough to count the scars. It is not aggression so much as an economy of curiosity from an animal that lives where meals are weeks apart. Around Daedalus, the Brothers, and Elphinstone in autumn, divers hang in blue water while one or several whitetips run their patient circuits. Once among the most abundant large animals on Earth, longimanus has been fished to Critically Endangered — the Red Sea encounters are a privilege of geography and protection.
Où et quand en observer un
« Résident » signifie que la plupart des plongées sur ce site permettent de les observer ; « saisonnier » signifie qu'ils sont présents de manière fiable durant les mois indiqués ; tout le reste est un bonus, pas une certitude.
| Destination | Fiabilité | Mois | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brothers, Daedalus & St John'sEgypt | Seasonal — reliable in season | Oct–Jan | |
| Marsa Alam & the Deep SouthEgypt | Seasonal — reliable in season | Oct–Dec | |
| Socorro & the RevillagigedosMexico | Occasional | Toute l'année |
Meilleur mois, en un coup d'œil
| Mois | Destinations fiables |
|---|---|
| January | Brothers, Daedalus & St John's · Socorro & the Revillagigedos |
| February | Socorro & the Revillagigedos |
| March | Socorro & the Revillagigedos |
| April | Socorro & the Revillagigedos |
| May | Socorro & the Revillagigedos |
| June | Socorro & the Revillagigedos |
| July | Socorro & the Revillagigedos |
| August | Socorro & the Revillagigedos |
| September | Socorro & the Revillagigedos |
| October | Brothers, Daedalus & St John's · Marsa Alam & the Deep South · Socorro & the Revillagigedos |
| November | Brothers, Daedalus & St John's · Marsa Alam & the Deep South · Socorro & the Revillagigedos |
| December | Brothers, Daedalus & St John's · Marsa Alam & the Deep South · Socorro & the Revillagigedos |
Les comprendre
Habitat: The open-ocean surface layer, far from land; approaches offshore reefs and seamounts, and famously shadows boats
Aire de répartition: Circumtropical in deep, warm offshore water worldwide; for divers the reliable overlap is Egypt's offshore Red Sea reefs
Comportement: The defining trait is persistence. In an ocean of scarcity, longimanus investigates everything — it approaches divers directly, circles close, and returns again and again, often with a pilot-fish escort. The huge, white-mottled, paddle-shaped pectorals make it unmistakable at a glance.
Régime alimentaire: Squid and pelagic fish such as tuna; an opportunist adapted to a food-poor environment where nothing edible can be ignored
Taille: généralement autour de 2.0 m; documenté jusqu'à 3.5 m (total length; most Red Sea animals run 1.8–2.5 m).
Comment se comporter avec lui
Descend and ascend as a tight group, avoid lingering at the surface, keep your camera between you and a closing shark, turn to face every pass, and end the dive if an animal escalates. Follow Egyptian park briefings — no feeding, no swimming off alone.
Conservation
Critically Endangered after catastrophic bycatch and finning losses across all oceans — among the steepest declines documented for any wide-ranging shark. Retention is banned by most tuna fishery bodies, and the species is on CITES Appendix II.
Sites répertoriés connus pour leur présence
Regarder
Depuis les canaux officiels
Best Places to Dive with Whale Sharks
Outrageously Tiny Fish
Sink or Swim? with Monét X Change | Monterey Bay Aquarium
Les vidéos sont des liens intégrés vers les chaînes de leurs créateurs — nous n'hébergeons rien et créditons tout.