Whitetip Reef Shark

Photo: Craig Fujii · CC BY-NC-ND

Whitetip reef sharks rest in small groups on the sandy bottom at the base of Passikudah's outer reef bommies during daylight hours, sometimes stacked two or three individuals deep in a favoured overhang. They are nocturnal hunters that chase reef fish through the coral structure with a sinuous, flexible body form highly adapted for tight-space pursuit — a different ecological niche from the more open-water hunting style of blacktip and grey reef sharks. Their presence on an undived reef is a positive indicator of ecosystem health, as they are among the first species lost when fishing pressure increases.