Blacktip
Reef is the common name for about ten related species
of sharks all found in temperate oceans. The body is
blue-gray in color - darker in color than most sharks
- and they move so beautifully in the water. They are
quite small and not considered really dangerous. The
Black-Tipped Reef Shark has a well defined black tip
to its dorsal fin and its lower tail fin and grow to
about 5 feet. They like shallow water around reefs and
they will sometimes jump over shallow coral, coming
right out of the water, frequently sighted on the Great
Barrier Reef. They are often attracted by splashing
and will sometimes come up to a snorkler to see what's
going on. The Australian Aborigines used to catch them
by splashing the water to get them excited and then
throwing in a baited hook. By tagging these sharks,
researchers have found that they rarely move very far
from an area. They usually breed in November-December.
They often eat fish but are well known to also eat land-based
snakes probably found in the mangroves. They are not
regarded as dangerous but have been known to bite the
fins and ankles of snorklers on shallow reefs -- more
a hazard than a real danger. This shark prefers clear
shallow water.
