Grey Reef Shark

Photo: National Coral Reef Monitoring Program - Pacific Region · CC BY-NC

Grey reef sharks patrol the outer reef edge and current-swept corners of the Aleipata walls, using the upwelling cool water to ambush fusiliers and snapper pushed up by the prevailing trade winds. Their presence is a reliable indicator of the reef's ecological health and the absence of intensive shark finning, which remains low in this part of Samoa due to the islands' limited boat access.