Sharks
Silky Shark
Carcharhinus falciformis · Cartilaginous fish — family Carcharhinidae
Silkies are the open ocean's welcoming committee. Hang beneath a liveaboard at Daedalus or in Cuba's Jardines de la Reina and they appear from nowhere — slender, bronze-backed sharks with long tail lobes, carving smooth circles a fin's length away. Few species close distance so readily, and few wear their curiosity so plainly; a safety stop can turn into twenty minutes of orbiting escort. They are also among the most heavily fished sharks on Earth, hauled up in vast numbers on tuna longlines and purse seines, which makes the confident crowds at protected seamounts feel like dispatches from an older ocean.
Dónde y cuándo ver uno
"Residente" significa que la mayoría de las inmersiones en ese destino tienen encuentros con ellos; "estacional" significa que su presencia es fiable en los meses indicados; cualquier otra cosa es un extra, no algo con lo que contar.
| Destino | Fiabilidad | Meses | Notas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocos IslandCosta Rica | Resident — seen on most dives | Todo el año | |
| Socorro & the RevillagigedosMexico | Resident — seen on most dives | Todo el año | |
| Jardines de la ReinaCuba | Resident — seen on most dives | Todo el año | |
| MalpeloColombia | Resident — seen on most dives | Todo el año | |
| Brothers, Daedalus & St John'sEgypt | Seasonal — reliable in season | May–Oct |
El mejor mes, de un vistazo
Comprendiéndolos
Hábitat: Warm open ocean over deep water; gathers around seamounts, offshore reefs, drifting objects, and anchored boats
Rango: Circumtropical — one of the most abundant large sharks of the world's warm offshore waters, from the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific to the Red Sea and central Pacific
Comportamiento: Fast, sleek, and inquisitive, named for the fine, smooth texture of its skin. Silkies materialize around boats and safety stops in open water, circling divers closely and persistently, especially toward dusk. Around baitballs they switch to quick, slashing runs.
Dieta: Schooling fish such as tuna and mackerel, plus squid; often follows baitballs and tuna schools
Tamaño: normalmente alrededor de 2.2 m; documentado hasta 3.3 m (total length).
Cómo comportarse cerca de uno
Keep the group compact during drifting safety stops, avoid low-light surface swims where silkies are working bait, and never spearfish from a liveaboard mooring they patrol.
Conservación
Vulnerable and declining — silkies are the most common shark in the global fin trade and dominate tuna-fishery bycatch. CITES Appendix II listing now regulates international trade.
Puntos conocidos por avistamientos
Ver
Desde los canales oficiales
Best Places to Dive with Whale Sharks
Outrageously Tiny Fish
Sink or Swim? with Monét X Change | Monterey Bay Aquarium
Los vídeos son enlaces incrustados a los canales propios de sus creadores — no alojamos nada y acreditamos todo.