Every team has an underrated player–meet the oceanic whitetip shark. They’re named after the white, stippled appearance at the tips of their rounded dorsal and pectoral fins. These predators can grow to be more than 11 feet long and a whopping 370 pounds! While they don’t have the name recognition of a great white or hammerhead, these creatures are just as interesting.
top ENDURANCE ATHLETES
These sharks are constantly on the move to physically push seawater over their gills and get the oxygen they need, and can be found in almost every ocean across the globe. Talk about athletic performance!
the DEEP-DIVING MVPS
They get a home advantage in the open ocean, far offshore. Although whitetip sharks can dive to 3,000 ft below surface level, they prefer warmer waters.
red card: TRASH TURNOVERS
Since these opportunistic hunters are always moving around, they’ll take a shot at any food they can get. Unfortunately that means they have been known to eat marine debris and trash thinking it’s food, which is obviously dangerous for them—foul on the play!
MYSTERY PLAYBOOK: BAHAMAS EDITION
Scientists are still decoding whitetip sharks’ breeding patterns. A 2019 OceanX video captured rare moves: parallel swimming, biting and nosing in a Bahamas hotspot.
WHITETIPS 💙 WHALES
Nobody knows exactly why whitetip sharks have been seen swimming with pilot whales. Scientists think it could be due to pilot whales being great hunters, and helping finding the whitetip’s favorite snack: squid. What a duo… teamwork makes the dream work!
On top of being great athletes, sharks play an important role in maintaining a balance ecosystem. They help cycle nutrients throughout the ocean, keep the food chain in line plus they have an iconic swim-up song.
Help to protect these jaw-some animals with a gift to Ocean Conservancy today.
