Oceanic whitetip (Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
Oceanic whitetip sharks are bold and inquisitive creatures that are responsible for the most fatal human-shark encounter after the sinking of the USS Indianapolis during World War II. They are solitary animals, preferring to travel and hunt alone, however they are also scavengers and have been known to group together with other whitetips for “feeding frenzies”. Food is scarce for Whitetips, meaning their inquisitive nature is essential to their survival, by exploring and testing new potential foods, they increase their chance of survival. They can reach an maximum size of 350cm, and have a lifespan of 16 years for females and 12 years for males.
Their numbers have been declining rapidly, in the Gulf of Mexico, the population has plummeted 99% in 40 years. They are now considered ‘vulnerable’.
Habitat
Whitetips are usually found in tropical or subtropical waters that are warm and temperate. They also prefer deep water, often being found at depths of 150 meters, and are rarely seen close to the shoreline. Occasionally oceanic whitetip sharks will be found in shallower water, near islands.
Diet
They primarily eat bony and fast-moving fishes such as mackerel, tuna, barracuda and white marlin. If these fish aren’t available, Whitetips will also turn to eating turtles, squid, stingrays, and seabirds. The sharks have also been known to travel with the shortfin pilot whale in Hawaiian waters. It is thought that the shark is following the whale to find squid, which the whale is skilled at locating.
Reproduction
Whitetip sharks mate during early summer in the northwest Atlantic Ocean and Southwest Indian Ocean, this is the mating season for the species, however, females have been found with embryos outside of this period. Females have a gestation period of 10 to 12 months, after which they give birth to live young, in numbers ranging from 1 to 15.
Interaction With Humans
While they don’t tend to operate in shallow waters where humans are commonly found, they have been known to approach shallow waters, and have even been known to steal fish from fishermen by listening for the sound of boat engines. If they do encounter humans, the result can sometimes be fatal since they are aggressively opportunistic eaters.
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