How to Spot an Oceanic Whitetip Shark

The Oceanic Whitetip Shark is a legendary predator. Its voracious appetite, frenzied feeding and extreme curiosity have made it responsible for some of the most gruesome and deadly attacks on humans in the open ocean. For example, the steamship Nova Scotia sank off the South African coast during WWII after suffering a torpedo strike; of the 900 men on board, only 192 survived. The Oceanic Whitetip was responsible for many if not most of the deaths.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Make note of your distance from the shore when you spot the shark. Oceanic Whitetips are pelagic fish, meaning they live in the open ocean and constantly cruise for food above the deep seas.

2. Notice the shade and shape of the shark's dorsal fin. As their name implies, Oceanic Whitetips are recognizable for their tall, white-capped dorsal fins.

3. Approximate the shark's length. An average-sized Oceanic Whitetip is large, but not usually longer than 10 feet. Females may be slightly bigger than males.

4. Look at the shark's pectoral fins. Aside from their dorsal fins, the Oceanic Whitetip's long, rounded pectoral fins are its most distinguishing features. These also have white tips.

5. Analyze the color of the shark's body. Like many other sharks, Ocean Whitetips benefit from counter-shading, a special type of camouflage where the back is dark and the belly is white.

6. Observe the position of the shark's gills in relation to its pectoral fins. Like other requiem sharks, Oceanic Whitetips' gill slits are positioned completely in front of their pectoral fins.