Vulnerable· population decreasing· assessed 2020

Whitetip reef shark

Triaenodon obesus

Sighting evidence at Coral Garden Vavau, Vava'u, Tonga

Photo: Florent Pouzet · CC BY-NC-ND

The most commonly encountered reef shark in the Pacific, whitetip reef sharks are highly site-faithful and will rest on sandy substrate for hours during the day before becoming active hunters at night. They navigate reef passages in coordinated groups and play an important role in controlling fish populations on coral reefs.

Evidence at this site

1 record within 25 km

Confidence: low

Last confirmed Sep 2024

Seasonality

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How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.

Whitetip reef shark

Evidence at this site

Seasonality

Also seen at other sites