Baby Black tip reef sharks are the Scuba Dive Online team’s favourite baby shark. Around this time of year, they can be seen at many of the secluded bays around Koh Tao, Thailand, home to the Scuba Dive Online team. They are also found in many other parts of the world including the Atlantic and Indian oceans and Western and Eastern Pacific.
Here are 6 facts about the Black Tip Reef Shark.
1. The shark gets its name, not surprisingly, from the prominent black tips on its fins.
2. Black tips prefer shallow waters with temperatures ranging from around 15C to 25C, although the waters around Koh Tao are around 29C this month.
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3. They tend to live in large groups and are fast hunters, eating fish such as mullet and sardines. They have a home range of around 0.5km, one of the smallest of any shark species.
4. Adult black tips grow up to around 1.2m (different sizes worldwide) and live around 13 years.
5. Female black tips give birth to around 2-4 live pups (viviparous) sometimes more and have a gestation period of approximately 10-11 months.
6. The baby black tips we see regularly are not timid and can be seen working together to round up schools of small fish. They are easy to see when snorkelling as they often swim in knee high water.
The Scuba Dive Online team can recommend several destinations worldwide where black tip reef sharks are most commonly seen. Visit the destinations page on our website.
Thanks to Huw Penson from @kohtaounderwater who regularly swims with and photographs black tips.
If you are interested in underwater photography and taking some shots of these beautiful baby sharks why not