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Step 1
Locate the whitetip reef shark in tropical inshore and shallow clear waters, near or on coral reefs. They prefer to lie in caves and under ledges during the day, becoming more active at night. Whitetip reef sharks range throughout the Indo-Pacific and inhabit waters off northern and western Australia and Queensland.
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Step 2
Look for a small to medium-sized shark, rarely more than 5-feet long, although a few reach seven feet. Whitetip reef sharks are dark gray to brown-gray on top, white on bottom with a peppering of dark gray spots along the sides of its body. They have white-tipped caudal and first dorsal fins. They're known for an expression resembling disgust.
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Step 3
Identify the whitetip reef shark as a slender shark with a short, bluntly rounded snout, typically with spiracles, which aid in respiration. Both dorsal fins are roughly the same size.
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Step 4
Examine its mouth for small, smooth-edged teeth, which are tricuspidate or three-pronged with a main center blade and smaller cusps on each side. Both jaws have strong cusplets.
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Step 5
Notice their strong social behavior. Whitetip reef sharks aggregate in groups in crevices or caves during the day, often lying on top of each other. They tend to keep the same cave or crevice as a home point for long periods. Not territorial, they openly share their territory with other whitetips.
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Step 6
Note their diet and feeding habits. Whitetip reef sharks expertly capture bottom prey in caves, crevices and holes in coral ledges. They tend to feed more at night or at slack tides where strong currents occur. They primarily feed on crabs, spiny lobsters, octopus and bony fishes such as damsel fish, eels, parrot fish, snappers, surgeon fish and trigger fish.
