Whitetip reef shark
Triaenodon obesus
Sighting evidence at Bunaken Channel Drift
Photo: Craig Fujii · CC BY-NC-ND
Whitetip reef sharks are the most commonly encountered reef shark in the Indo-Pacific and the most frequently observed sleeping on the channel floor during slack tide. Unlike other requiem sharks they can rest motionlessly on the seabed and pump water over their gills without swimming, making them uniquely observable at depth. They are highly site-faithful and return to the same resting ledges for years.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Whitetip reef shark is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.